PETERSBURG, Russia (NEWSnet/AP) — A private funeral has been held for Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in Russia, ending his tumultuous life journey from street thug to Kremlin-financed mercenary leader.
His spokespeople said Tuesday the closed service came less than a week after he was killed in a plane crash, two months following a brief mutiny that challenged the authority of President Vladimir Putin.
"Those who wish to bid their farewell” to the 62-year-old mercenary leader should go to the Porokhovskoye cemetery in St. Petersburg, his hometown, according to an online statement by his press service.
Some media cited unidentified sources as saying Prigozhin was laid to rest earlier Tuesday without any publicity, per his family's wishes.
In the meantime, Putin's spokesman said he would not attend the service. The president had decried the armed rebellion in June as “treason” and “a stab in the back.”
The tight secrecy and confusion regarding the funeral of Prigozhin and his top lieutenants reflected a dilemma faced by the Kremlin amid speculation that the crash was likely a vendetta for his June 23-24 uprising. While it tried to avoid a pomp-filled ceremony for him, the Kremlin couldn't afford to denigrate Prigozhin, who led Wagner forces in Ukraine.
The country’s top criminal investigation agency, the Investigative Committee, officially confirmed Prigozhin’s death on Sunday.
The committee didn’t say what might have caused Prigozhin’s business jet to fall from the sky. Just before the Aug. 23 plane crash, Prigozhin had reportedly returned from a trip to Africa, where he sought to expand Wagner Group’s activities.
The fate of Wagner, which until recently played a prominent role in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine and was involved in a number of African and Middle Eastern countries, is uncertain. Putin said Wagner fighters could sign a contract with the Russian military, move to Belarus or retire from service.
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