Yevgeny Prigozhin apparently killed in a fatal place crash

Mafia state.

Putin is the godfather, and the oligarchs “owe”Putin their lifestyle and existence and when asked - favours, including our own Lord Lebedev. Step out of line and your days are numbered.

It is how Mafia states work.

You are all assuming the Prigozhin and his deputy wanted to be on the plane.

However, I think it is more likely. given the way Putin has played it so far, not arresting Prigozhin, leaving him free in Byelorus, even the way the mutiny was ended so easily, suggests Putin was playing a long game. Putin may have invited him to Moscow for talks about the future of the Wagner Group, possibly giving it a free hand in Africa etc. He may have given assurances that he could travel openly and freely to these negotiations. But no one should ever trust Putin.

I thought the plane was flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg?

Last I heard of Prighozin, very recently, he was in Africa?

It would be better for him were he on the plane I imagine; there are worse things than death, and the life he might be forced to endure, now that he is allegedly 'dead,' does not bear thinking about. I can't imagine Putin would be forgiving.

MOnica you are right Navalny is a man of principle. I desperately hope within my lifetime he is released, but I somehow doubt it.

Putin imo is a living version of Satan !

Delila, you are right, but whichever way the plane was flying. Prigozhin, could have thought he was safe. As others have said, it was probably tall buildings windows he was avoiding!

One of the flight attendants on the plane is supposed to have rung home to say her flight was being delayed for some last minute 'maintenance'. It's no stretch of the imagination to guess what that maintenance was 😏 I feel so sad for the poor flight crew who were innocent in this but died anyway

Fairly predictable if he was on the plane..I imagine it would be quite difficultto escape Putin's reach..

Me too Sassanch521. No thoughts given to the innocent people caught up in assassinations like this one.

That was my first thought when I heard the news, the three innocent crew members effectively sentenced to death because they were needed to make sure Prigozhin was killed.

But it is worth remembering that this is all in line with the way Russian governments have behaved since the times of the Tzars, with utter disregard for the lives of their citizens, when matters of state get in the way.

Stalin subdued Ukraine by starving them to death, had regular clearouts of those working round him, condeming them and their families to death, our imprisonment in the gulags.

Putin is following in this grand tradition.

Apparently Prigozin’s private army are vowing revenge for their leaders demise, I suspect there will be a lot more “accidents” as Putin deals with them - many are convicted murderers so he won’t want them on the loose.

Wouldn’t surprise me if it was staged and he ll pop up somewhere sometime

IMO very little happens there without Putin's say so but my thought was I wonder if he really was on the plane or just a ruse for him to stow away in some remote place out of harms way.

Sounds like a case of state condoned murder, including the pilot etc who was likely a complete innocent, and no guarantee P was actually on-board 😕

No guarantee he was on that plane, as there have been reports of a second plane, but no news of where that one landed. He had multiple passports and a few body doubles. We must now rely on the Russian authorities to do the forensics. Do we rely on them to be truthful?

I shall be surprised if we ever learn that he undoubtedly was on the plane and that his corpse has been found and is recognisable.

If I have read Prigohzin right, he probably did stage his own death and is now happily creating hell somewhere in Africa.

Of course, he knew Putin was out to get him and surely the only reason he got away with all the abuse plus a revolt is that he has or had some very nasty evidence against Putin and other highhied'yins in Russia carefully stashed away with instructions that it should be published in the event of his death.

By the way, we all know Tass is not the world's most reliable news agency or government information office, don't we?

Whether Prigohzin is dead or alive will make no difference to the war in Ukraine as he and Wagner were out of it before this happened. The Wagner mercenaries left in the Russian army in Ukraine are now under direct contract to the Russian Ministry of Defence (ironic title in this instance - War Office would be more accurate). Most of those who refused to sign these contracts are presumably in Niger now or twiddling their thumbs in Belerus with one eye on the Polish border - no threat to Ukraine in that, surely.

Yep, I reckon if you fall out with Putin , "dead" is a good place to be...

I find it hard to believe he would get on any plane. He knew Putin was out to get him. The incident is/was so predictable, even down to the fact it may not be what it purports to be.

I doubt if he was on the plane - he would know Putin too well and expect such treatment. He could soon make himself look different to re-emerge!

I have 3 possible theories about that :-
1. Straightforward Assassination by order of Putin
2. Progozin wasn’t actually on the plane and it was a ploy on his part to disappear and avoid assassination (had masses of money and a bolt hole in Africa planned ages ago)?
3. He was murdered ages ago and this was staged to add his body to the wreckage and claim accident?

Yes I read a LOT of crime fiction!

First and foremost, Putin is a heartless, ruthless killer. Only deranged, insecure men seek power through those methods. No one should be surprised.

The “Chef” lived about a month longer than I expected.
USA Gundy

He has lasted so long because he always wore gloves when opening doors.