Prigozhin suggests he was in danger in video recorded before death
A video recording of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, was released posthumously on Thursday, eight days after his death, Agerpres said, according to Reuters.
The material was published by the Telegram channel Grey Zone, affiliated with Wagner, with the clarification that it had been made a few days before Prigozhin's death.
It refers to the speculation about his situation and possible threats to his security. He addresses those "who are discussing whether I am alive or not - right now it is the weekend, the second half of August 2023, I am in Africa." "So for those who like to discuss my liquidation, or about my private life, how much I earn, or anything else - everything is fine," Prigozhin says in the film. Other comments show that he was aware of the threats to his life.
Reuters was unable to verify the location or date of the recording, which was made from a moving vehicle. Prigozhin's camouflage outfit, hat, and watch on his right hand are the same as those from a video recording published on August 21, in which the Wagner leader also claimed to be in Africa. The reference to "weekend" suggests that the filming took place on August 19 or 20, just three days before August 23, when the plane carrying Prigozhin crashed north of Moscow.
The Kremlin has denied suggestions that Prigozhin was assassinated on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin; the spokesperson for the presidency in Moscow dismissed such speculation, calling it "an absolute lie," but later said that the investigation into the aviation disaster is also considering the possibility of a criminal act.
Prigozhin led a revolt of Wagner mercenaries against the leadership of the Russian armed forces in June, criticizing it in harsh terms. He was buried on Tuesday in the Porohovskoe cemetery in his hometown of St. Petersburg.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
