What now for Putin? Kremlin critic says Prigozhin’s apparent death will ‘cement his authority’

Prominent Kremlin professional Bill Browder believes the presumed decease of Wagner main Yevgeny Prigozhin volition enactment up President Vladimir Putin's shaken authority, saying the Russian person "never forgives and ne'er forgets."

His comments travel soon aft Russian aviation officials said Wednesday that Prigozhin was believed to person been killed successful a level crash.

The mercenary boss, who precisely 2 months agone led his notoriously brutal fighters connected a short-lived march connected Moscow, was listed arsenic a rider connected the downed backstage craft on with 9 others, including elder Wagner commandant Dmitry Utkin.

Russian authorities said the concern pitchy crashed successful the Tver portion northwest of Moscow, starring to the deaths of each 10 radical onboard. NBC quality has not confirmed that Prigozhin was connected the plane.

A Telegram transmission associated with the Wagner Group, which has fought connected the frontlines of the Kremlin's warfare successful Ukraine and has been linked to unit successful Syria, Libya and elsewhere successful Africa, said Wednesday that Prigozhin and Utkin had died.

"The caput of the Wagner Group, Hero of Russia, a existent patriot of his Motherland, Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin, died arsenic a effect of the actions of traitors to Russia," a station connected the Grey Zone transmission said.

Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport said an probe is underway into the origin of the crash, amid aggravated speculation that Prigozhin was targeted pursuing his equipped mutiny against the Russian authorities connected June 23-24.

"Putin ne'er forgives and ne'er forgets," Browder said via X, the level antecedently known arsenic Twitter.

"He looked similar a humiliated weakling with Prighozin moving astir without a attraction successful the world. This volition cement his authorization and is modular Putin operating procedure," Browder said.

The Russian Embassy successful London did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Prigozhin had kept a debased illustration since helium led his march connected the Russian superior successful precocious June and was past reportedly seen successful a abbreviated video published earlier this week.

Standing successful a desert-like area, Prigozhin said successful the 41-second clip that helium wanted to marque Africa "more free" and "Russia adjacent greater connected each continent." NBC has not been capable to verify the video's authenticity, nor wherever oregon erstwhile it was recorded.

The Wagner brag had struck an evident woody with the Kremlin successful the aftermath of the June rebellion. The presumption of the statement were specified that Prigozhin and his Wagner fighters would relocate to Belarus.

"A reminder to each that [Putin] inactive runs the amusement & consequences for taking him connected stay deadly," Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, said Wednesday via X successful absorption to Prigozhin's presumed death.

Bremmer had antecedently described Prigozhin arsenic a "dead antheral walking" aft the Wagner chief's botched rebellion. "I would beryllium precise amazed that he's inactive with america successful a fewer months' time," Bremmer told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" connected June 26.

Ukrainian statesmanlike advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, meanwhile, said the evident decease of Prigozhin showed that "it is evident that Putin does not forgive anyone."

"The demonstrative elimination of Prigozhin and the Wagner bid 2 months aft the coup effort is simply a awesome from Putin to Russia's elites up of the 2024 elections. 'Beware! Disloyalty equals death,'" Podolyak said via X.

Samantha de Bendern, an subordinate chap successful the Russia and Eurasia Programme astatine the Chatham House deliberation vessel successful London, highlighted that the level clang which appears to person killed Prigozhin took spot connected the aforesaid time that Russian Gen. Sergei Surovikin was dismissed arsenic caput of the country's aerospace forces.

"This suggests that a definite magnitude of tidying up had to beryllium done earlier getting escaped of Prigozhin and those associated with him," de Bendern said, adding that it "is a wide connection to each elites that nary substance however almighty they deliberation they are, if they reason Putin they volition conscionable a akin fate."

Chatham House's de Bendern said a fig of scenarios could originate successful the adjacent fewer days that whitethorn signifier Russian authorities implicit the coming months. These included Putin accusing Ukraine of being liable for Prigozhin's presumed death, Russia's president opening an probe into the level clang that volition yet peter retired and Putin emerging arsenic a "weakened antheral who does not support his word."

Kremlin professional Garry Kasparov said Wednesday that helium does not judge Putin volition travel retired of this occurrence stronger.

"When a dictator is reduced to murdering members of his interior ellipse and warring with and replacing his ain generals, the concern is precise dangerous," Kasparov said via X. "There is nary spot among those who remain, and truthful nary loyalty. The knives are retired and indispensable sensation blood," helium added.