Putin says Prigozhin ‘made mistakes’ in first comments on presumed death

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday made his first remarks following the presumed death of Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, saying the mercenary leader helped contribute to Russia’s goals while faulting him for making “mistakes” during his life.

In comments that aired on Russian television, Putin said he knew Prigozhin since the ’90s and that the Wagner boss “had a difficult fate.”

“He made serious mistakes in his life,” Putin said, according to clips of the address. But the Russian president said Prigozhin “achieved the necessary results in his life, both for himself and when I asked him to do so for the common goal.”

A Russian business jet crashed Wednesday about 100 miles northwest of Moscow, killing 10 people.

Russia’s civilian aviation agency said both Prigozhin and Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin were listed as passengers on the plane.

Wagner-affiliated channels are claiming that air defenses shot the plane out of the sky, but the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Still, many are viewing the incident with suspicion, as the presumed death of Prigozhin comes about two months after he launched a failed rebellion against Putin.

Putin on Thursday expressed his “sincere condolences” to the victims and said the cause of the crash is under investigation and will be completed.

He also praised the role of the Wagner Group in the war in Ukraine.

“Wagner made a significant contribution to the fight against Nazism in Ukraine; we will never forget this,” Putin said.