Kremlin dismisses claims Putin’s right hand assassinated Wagner chief: ‘Pulp fiction’
Anna Giaritelli
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The Kremlin has dismissed as “pulp fiction” a report that said one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top officials were behind the death of oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The Russian mercenary was killed in a plane crash carried out by Russian security official Nikolai Patrushev, which the Kremlin said on Friday was a ridiculous claim fabricated by the Wall Street Journal, which broke the story.
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“Lately, unfortunately, the Wall Street Journal has been very fond of producing pulp fiction,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a statement.
Prigozhin was killed in addition to nine other people when his private jet exploded in August. The Wall Street Journal reported that the explosion was the result of a small bomb that had been planted under one of its wings, citing a former Russian intelligence officer and Western intelligence officials.
Prigozhin was a longtime ally of Putin, but relations grew complicated during his leadership of the Wagner Group, which had fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Under Prigozhin, the private military group staged a rebellion in June that was viewed as a serious threat to Putin’s control.
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The plane crash took place two months later, in August.
Prior to Friday, the Kremlin had dismissed allegations that Prigozhin was killed by the Russian government. In October, Putin said hand grenades in the plane had caused it to explode.