Russian General Andrey Averyanov heads Unit 29155 of the Russian military intelligence service GRU, which has been linked to a series of assassinations and influence operations outside Russia. Including the poisoning attack in Salisbury in 2018, when a former Russian double agent and his daughter were found unconscious on a bench, poisoned with novichok.
Now he is also suspected of having a hand in the death of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to both British and Ukrainian intelligence sources.
– There is a lot of discussion around the mentioned name. Unsurprisingly, says a British source In News.
Averjanov is said to have had a long-standing conflict with Prigozhin.
It was on Wednesday afternoon that a private jet crashed outside Moscow. In addition to Prigozhin, several of the Wagner group’s top names are said to have been on board the plane, including the force’s co-founder Dmitry Utkin.
Who will take over?
Prigozhin presented himself as the irreplaceable leader of the Wagner group, the spider in the web of mercenaries, mining companies, political consultants and disinformation agents.
Among the names of potential successors, the Wagner idol Andrei Troshev appears, states The Washington Post. He is believed to have been the link between Prigozhin and the Russian Ministry of Defense throughout the war. In addition, he is one of the few public figures within Wagner who was not on the downed plane’s passenger list.
Telegram channels and military bloggers have claimed in recent weeks that Troshev was ousted from the group and that he betrayed Prigozhin after the June armed uprising.
“Several commanders have accused him of treason and said he lured people into Redut’s private paramilitary,” said Lilia Yapparova, a reporter for the independent news site Meduza.
Redut is a private force controlled by the Ministry of Defense and believed to be financed by Gennady Timchenko, a billionaire and longtime Putin associate.
Putin has previously indicated that he would like to see Troshev take over.
The Kremlin denies involvement
Suspicions have been directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin after the plane crash, but the government in Moscow rejects all responsibility.
– There is a lot of speculation surrounding the plane crash and the tragic death of the passengers, among them Yevgeny Prigozhin. All this is an absolute lie, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference on Friday.
– As soon as the results are in, they will be published.
When asked if Vladimir Putin will attend the funeral of Prigozhin, the Kremlin spokesman claims that the extensive investigation into the crash must first be completed.
– Currently, the president has a very busy schedule, says Peskov.