Kremlin Hits Out at West's Claims Over Prigozhin's Death as Absolute Lie

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - On Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said that the Embraer Legacy private plane en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed in the Tver Region, killing all 10 people aboard. Federal Air Transport Agency Rosaviatsia said that Prigozhin was in the plane. An investigation into the accident is underway.

There are many speculations in Western states regarding a crash of a plane said to be carrying Wagner Group private military company (PMC) leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, all this is an absolute lie, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"Now, of course, there is a lot of speculation around this catastrophe and around the tragic death of the passengers of the plane, including Yevgeny Prigozhin. Of course, in the West, all these speculations are served from a certain angle. All this is an absolute lie," Peskov told reporters, commenting on the numerous statements by Western officials claiming that Prigozhin was killed at the behest of the Kremlin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has not held any meetings with Prigozhin recently, the official said, adding that he is not aware yet if Putin will go to Prigozhin’s funeral, as the president has a tight schedule in general.

When asked about the investigation, the official said that there are still few facts, noting that more details will have to be clarified in the course of the probe.

The official results of the investigation into the plane crash will be published, Peskov said.

The Wagner Group does not exist de jure as a structure, so it is hard to say what its future will be, Peskov said on Friday.

"Let us not forget that there is no such structure, there is no Wagner PMC de jure. There is, indeed, the Wagner group, as the president has repeatedly said, which has made a great contribution to the special military operation... As for the future [of the Wagner group], I cannot tell you anything right now, I do not know," Peskov told a briefing.

An Embraer Legacy business jet with three crew members and seven passengers aboard crashed in Russia's Tver Region while en route to St. Petersburg from Moscow on Wednesday.