Background

The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not plan to attend the funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the private military group Wagner, who died in a plane crash last week.

The plane crash occurred two months after an armed rebellion organized by his group against the top leadership of the Russian army, during which it captured the city of Rostov in the south of the country and advanced towards Moscow, and then retreated 200 kilometers from the capital.

Kremlin’s Response

Asked whether Putin would attend the funeral, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “There can be no question of the president’s presence.”

Peskov explained that the Kremlin does not have specific information regarding the organization of the funeral, pointing out that this is a family matter.

Confirmation of Prigozhin’s Death

On Sunday, investigators said genetic tests confirmed Prigozhin was among 10 people who died in the plane crash.

Kremlin’s Response to Assassination Claims

The Kremlin has dismissed suggestions by some Western politicians and commentators that Putin ordered Prigozhin’s assassination out of revenge, calling them “blatant lies.”