Vladimir Putin was silent for almost a day after the plane crash that occurred early Wednesday evening. But on Thursday evening he sent his condolences, reports AFP.
Putin says Prigozhin was a talented man who made “mistakes”.
The Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia has created a committee to investigate the technical condition of the crashed plane, the weather conditions, the broadcasting services and the radio equipment on the ground, writes the US-based think tank ISW.
At the same time, Russia’s major investigative agency, Sledkom, announces on the Telegram messaging service that an investigation into violations of the rules for traffic safety and operation of air transport is being opened, due to a plane crash in the Tver region, apparently referring to the Prigozhin crash.
There are videos
According to ISW, a military blogger connected to the Kremlin has stated that the committee may choose to explain the crash by an air defense system shooting down the plane by mistake. A Russian source tells the think tank that it is likely that the crash will be explained by a terrorist act taking place on board, an explanation that has already begun to be put forward in Russia.
The Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel Gray Zone has posted videos showing the plane falling almost straight down from a blue sky. One of the wings is missing, but the rest of the fuselage seems to hold together relatively well. After the impact, however, much of the remains burns.
A resident near the crash site told AFP that the plane crash was preceded by loud bangs.
– The plane caught fire and started to burn, it could have fallen anywhere, says the resident, who does not want to give his name.
Putin appeared
AP’s analysis of the footage strengthens the theory that the plane suffered some kind of explosion when it reached cruising altitude, the news agency writes.
The Kremlin has still not commented on the information that Prigozhin died in the crash.
Around the same time the plane went down, President Vladimir Putin was attending a ceremony commemorating the Battle of Kursk during World War II. But neither there nor during a video address to the Brics summit in South Africa on Thursday did he mention the crash.