“For those who are discussing whether I’m alive or not, how I’m doing – right now it’s the weekend, second half of August 2023, I’m in Africa,” Prigozhin said in the short video published by the Grey Zone Telegram channel which is linked to his Wagner Group.
“So for people who like to discuss wiping me out, or my private life, how much I earn or whatever else – everything’s ok,” he added with a wave of his hand.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told journalists Russian investigators are not ruling out foul play in the plane crash that killed Prigozhin, and will consider every possible scenario.
“It is obvious that different versions exist and are being considered. Among them is the one [involving a] deliberate atrocity,” he said on Wednesday, urging the media to wait for official updates from investigators.
Prigozhin’s death came two months after he staged a brief mutiny, marching his Wagner Private Military Company forces towards Moscow with the stated goal of replacing top military commanders.
Russian president Vladimir Putin branded him a traitor at the time, but agreed to a deal in the interests of avoiding major bloodshed. This allowed Prigozhin and his loyalists to leave Russia. Putin has repeatedly stressed that most Wagner members were patriots, whose service on the battlefield made them heroes.
Some Western media have claimed that Moscow may have been behind the plane crash in which Prigozhin died. The Kremlin has dismissed such “speculation” as “a total lie,” while Putin has promised a thorough investigation of the incident.
