'Plane will fall apart... ': Wagner chief Prigozhin's remark in old interview fuels conspiracy theories
Portrait of Wagner chief
A brief video snippet from a past interview of killed Wagner chiefYevgeny Prigozhin has ignited a flurry of conjectures. In the 40-second-long video, Prigozhin is seen referencing an aircraft disintegrating mid-flight. As reports also reveal that the head of the Wagner Group was killed in a fatal private jet crash that occurred northwest of Moscow, this newly emerged video has triggered extensive online theorising.
Eerie statements fuel speculation
The video extracted from an interview conducted by Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov on April 29, unveiled Prigozhin's perspective on the Russian state. In the clip, the Wagnerchief can be seen rebuking the Russian defence and claimed that they excluded people who tell the truth and refuse to pander to higher-ups.
"Today we have reached the boiling point," he said in the clip published on Wagner's Telegram channel, namely Grey Zone.
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"Why am I speaking so honestly? Because I don't have the right, before those people who will live on in this country. They are now being lied to. Better kill me," the Wagner chief said adding, "But I will not lie, I must say honestly that Russia is on the brink of disaster. And if these cogs are not adjusted today, then the plane will fall apart in the air."
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It is worth noting that this interview took place in April, well before the June 24 mutiny led by Prigozhin against senior military officials.
The reason for the death of the Wagner chief is widely debated. In response to Western claims suggesting his demise was orchestrated by the Kremlin, Russian authorities dismissed these allegations as an "absolute lie".
Various theories emerge
The release of the video clip prompted a multitude of reactions on Wagner's Telegram channel, Grey Zone.
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Some individuals speculated that Prigozhin might still be alive. One user said that the Wagner chief could emerge from obscurity and shock his adversaries. He would "soon jump out of a snuffbox and make the devils crap themselves," the post read.
Meanwhile, imaginative scenarios painted Prigozhin and Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russia's military effort, enjoying in Jamaica. The post said it would be cool of they "are sitting in Jamaica, drinking pina colada and taking a drag on a huge joint."
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In the wake of Prigozhin's demise, online commenters began pointing fingers in various directions.
Some insinuated Kremlin involvement, attributing the plane crash to President Vladimir Putin's machinations. "You have to be an amoeba not to understand this," the post read.
The plane crash, coupled with Prigozhin's history of controversy and his statements, has given rise to a variety of theories, ranging from hopeful anticipation of his survival to conspiracy scenarios involving international actors.
One particular user placed the blame on Ukraine, suggesting that Prigozhin fell victim to the orders of US special services and the "Anglo-Saxons".
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