Vladimir Putin has broken his silence over Yevgeny Prigozhin’s reported death – some 24 hours after the Wagner chief’s private jet crashed.
Russia’s president said the head of the mercenary group was a “talented person” who “made serious mistakes in life”.
Mr Putin also sent condolences to the families of all 10 people said to be on board the plane that went down north-west of Moscow on Wednesday evening.
However, he stopped short of explicitly confirming Prigozhin’s death.
From the moment the plane came down, there has been frenzied speculation about what caused the deadly crash and whether Prigozhin was indeed on board, as stated on the passenger list.
At a briefing on Thursday, a Pentagon spokesperson said the US believed the Wagner chief was likely killed in the crash.
Ground staff in Moscow’s airport – where the plane took off heading for St Petersburg – are being questioned, and CCTV footage is being checked.