“I will not make such hasty conclusions”: the head of Ukrainian intelligence doubts Prigozhin’s death

The news of his death in a plane crash last August did not come as a surprise. But the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin is not certain for everyone. The head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kirill Budanov, questioned the death of boss Wagner in an interview with the British newspaper The Financial Times.

Answering a question about the death of the billionaire boss of a mercenary militia that briefly rebelled against the Kremlin in June 2023, Kirill Budanov urged “not to make such hasty conclusions.” “I’m not saying that he didn’t die or that he’s dead,” said the ghostly man from the Ukrainian general staff. “I say there is not a single piece of evidence that he is dead.”

Prigozhin was declared dead last August when his private jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Moscow. According to the Federal Air Transport Agency, everyone on the plane died as a result of the crash, and Prigozhin’s name was on the list of passengers. Genetic testing of the bodies by Russian investigators later confirmed Chief Wagner’s death.

Passports were found at his home

A few months earlier, in June 2023, a sulphurous billionaire from St. Petersburg sent his mercenaries to attack Moscow in order to overthrow the Russian military command with which he was in conflict. Prigozhin criticized the general staff for not providing enough ammunition for his militias and even for targeting his men during bombing raids. A few hours later, as they prepared to enter Moscow, Wagner’s mercenaries suddenly turned back and a secret agreement was concluded between Prigozhin and the Kremlin.

During a search of Prigozhin’s home after the failed mutiny, Russian security services found several passports in different names and a closet full of wigs.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Kirill Budanov also discusses the health of Vladimir Putin, a topic that regularly gives rise to the most daring theories. According to him, the Kremlin boss regularly uses “clones” to replace him during television appearances.

Answering a question about the evidence for his words, the head of Ukrainian intelligence said that his analysts were studying Putin’s “physiography”: “earlobes, distance between eyebrows, etc.” “It is not so difficult. You can easily do it yourself,” he added.