A private burial was held for , ending a tumultuous journey from St. Petersburg street thug to Kremlin-financed mercenary leader, following a suspicious plane crash two months after his brief mutiny that challenged the authority of President Vladimir Putin.
His spokespeople said Tuesday a service took place behind closed doors, and directed 91裸聊视频渢hose who wish to bid their farewell91裸聊视频� to the 62-year-old head of the Wagner private military contractor to go to the Porokhovskoye cemetery in his hometown. Their statement ended media speculation on where and when Prigozhin would be laid to rest, with his funeral shrouded in secrecy.
A wooden cross towered over his flower-covered grave. Nearby stood a Russian tricolor and a black Wagner flag. Russian media cited unidentified sources as saying Prigozhin was laid to rest Tuesday without any publicity, per his family91裸聊视频檚 wishes.
Members of the Russian National Guard were stationed along the fence at the cemetery, steering visitors away after it closed for the day.
Putin91裸聊视频檚 spokesman said the president would not attend the service. The Russian leader had decried the armed rebellion in June as 91裸聊视频渢reason91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渁 stab in the back.91裸聊视频�
The secrecy and confusion surrounding the funeral of Prigozhin and his top lieutenants reflected a dilemma faced by the Kremlin amid swirling speculation that the crash was likely a vendetta for his June 23-24 uprising.
While it tried to avoid any pomp-filled ceremony for him, the Kremlin couldn91裸聊视频檛 afford to denigrate Prigozhin, who reportedly received Russia91裸聊视频檚 highest award for leading Wagner forces in Ukraine and was idolized by many of the country91裸聊视频檚 hawks.
Putin91裸聊视频檚 comments on Prigozhin91裸聊视频檚 death reflected that careful stand. He noted last week that Wagner leaders 91裸聊视频渕ade a significant contribution91裸聊视频� to the fighting in Ukraine and described Prigozhin as a 91裸聊视频漷alented businessman91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渁 man of difficult fate91裸聊视频� who had 91裸聊视频渕ade serious mistakes in life.91裸聊视频�
Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin political analyst, noted that Prigozhin has become a legendary figure for his supporters who are increasingly critical of the authorities.
91裸聊视频淧rigozhin91裸聊视频檚 funeral raises an issue of communication between the bureaucratic Russian government system that doesn91裸聊视频檛 have much political potential and politically active patriotic segment of the Russian public,91裸聊视频� Markov said.
The secretive service 91裸聊视频渂ecame the final stage of a special operation to eliminate him,91裸聊视频� said Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
91裸聊视频淓verything was as closed as possible, under full control of the security forces, with distracting maneuvers,91裸聊视频� she said in a commentary on her Telegram channel.
The country91裸聊视频檚 top criminal investigation agency, the Investigative Committee, on Sunday.
The committee didn91裸聊视频檛 say what might have caused Prigozhin91裸聊视频檚 business jet to plummet from the sky on Aug. 23, minutes after taking off from Moscow for St. Petersburg. Just before the crash, Prigozhin had reportedly returned from a trip to Africa, where he sought to expand Wagner Group91裸聊视频檚 activities.
Also on Tuesday, a funeral was held at St. Petersburg91裸聊视频檚 Northern Cemetery for Wagner91裸聊视频檚 logistics chief Valery Chekalov, who was among the 10 people killed in the crash. Prigozhin91裸聊视频檚 second-in-command, Dmitry Utkin, a retired military intelligence officer who gave the mercenary group its name based on his own nom de guerre, also was killed.
A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that caused the plane to crash, and Western officials have pointed to a long list of Putin91裸聊视频檚 foes who have been assassinated. The Kremlin rejected Western allegations the president was behind the crash as an 91裸聊视频渁bsolute lie.91裸聊视频�
Although both were from St. Petersburg, Prigozhin and Putin were not known to be particularly close.
Prigozhin, an ex-convict who earned millions and his nickname 91裸聊视频淧utin91裸聊视频檚 chef91裸聊视频� from lucrative government catering contracts, served Kremlin political interests and helped expand Russia91裸聊视频檚 clout by sending his mercenaries to Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic and other countries. Wagner, one of the most capable elements of Moscow91裸聊视频檚 forces, played a key role in Ukraine where it captured the Ukrainian eastern stronghold of Bakhmut in late May.
The crash came exactly two months after the brutal and profane mercenary boss against the Russian military leadership. Prigozhin ordered his mercenaries to take over the military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and then began a march on Moscow. They downed several military aircraft, killing more than a dozen pilots.
Putin had vowed to punish the participants but hours later that saw Prigozhin ending the mutiny in exchange for amnesty and permission for him and his troops to move to Belarus.
The fate of Wagner, which until recently played a prominent role in Russia91裸聊视频檚 military campaign in Ukraine and was involved in a number of African and Middle Eastern countries, is uncertain.
Putin said Wagner fighters could sign a contract with the Russian military, move to Belarus or retire from service. Several thousand went to Belarus, where they are in a camp southeast of the capital, Minsk.
READ ALSO:
