Four clues Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is still alive - wife mystery and second plane
Prigozhin used body doubles
As the news emerged that Wagner boss Prigozhin had been on board the private jet that went down in flames, an expert quickly came out the gate to warn the mercenary chief may not even have been on board.
Soon after the plane went down, it was confirmed that Prigozhin had been on the passenger list for the flight. However, Senior consulting Fellow of Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia Programme, Keir Giles, warned people "not to be surprised if he pops up shortly in a new video from Africa."
Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin attends the funeral of Dmitry Menshikov, a fighter of the Wagner group who died during a special operation in Ukraine
Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin attends the funeral of Dmitry Menshikov, a fighter of the Wagner group who died during a special operation in Ukraine
© AP
Speaking exclusively to the US Mirror, he explained that there is a "huge caveat" to the early reports of Prigozhin's death. He said: "It's been announced a passenger by the name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board.
"But it is also known multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeny Prigozhin as part of his efforts to obfuscate his travels. So until we know for certain it's the right Prigozhin, let's not be surprised if he pops up shortly in a new video from Africa.
"Everybody who was surprised Prigozhin survived his attempt to challenge the authority of the state in Russia with an armed mutiny, and said his days were numbered, will now be saying they told us so."
Dr Valery Solovey, a former professor at Moscow's Institute of International Relations, insisted that Prigozhin had put his double on board the plane. He said Prigozhin is now "alive, well and free" in an unnamed country.
Body double's wife visits grave
Fuel was added to the fire of rumors that Prigozhin was still alive after the wife of his reported body double was seen visiting the grave which is said to belong to Prigozhin in St Petersburg.
THe grave reportedly belonging to Prigozhin at the Porokhovskoye cemetery in St Petersburg
THe grave reportedly belonging to Prigozhin at the Porokhovskoye cemetery in St Petersburg
© AFP via Getty Images
The woman was seen standing solemnly at the Porokhovskoye graveyard and initially identified as Prigozhin's reclusive wife, Lyubov Prigozhina, 52. However, it was later claimed by Russian media outlets that the woman was in fact Irina Krasavina - the wife of Prigozhin's main body double, Leonid Krasavin.
She was reportedly accompanied to the grave site by Polina Prigozhina, 31, Prigozhin's eldest child. The billionaire had been known to use body doubles, and famously have multiple disguises himself.
Prigozhin says 'I'm fine' days before reported death
Days after he was said to have been buried in the St Petersburg cemetery, a video had been taken of the warlord in which he addressed the camera. It's believed the clip was recorded in mid-August, however it's not clear where it was filmed.
The short video was posted on Wagner's Grey Zone Telegram channel. In it, Prigozhin said: "For those talking about whether I'm alive or not, how I'm doing, now it's the weekend, the second half of August 2023, I'm in Africa.
The plane plummeted to the ground in the Tver region of Russia
The plane plummeted to the ground in the Tver region of Russia
© AP
"For those who like to discuss my elimination, private life, income or other things - basically I'm fine."
The weekend referenced in the video and reference to the "second half of August" suggests the video could have been recorded on August 19 or 20. The mercenary chief is seen wearing camouflage clothes and a hat similar to that worn in a video published by Grey Zone on August 21, in which he suggested he was in Africa.
While the Grey Zone did not suggest that Prigozhin is still alive, the timing of the release and the warlord's comments about surviving “elimination” attempts only added fuel to already widespread conspiracies that he is still alive.
Second plane rushed to Moscow
Rumors that Prigozhin had escaped the possible assassination attempt exploded after a second jet linked to the Wagner boss was spotted heading to Moscow. The plane was picked up on a flight tracking radar traveling from St Petersburg to Moscow just half an hour before the plane crash which is said to have killed Prigozhin.
Footage showed the second plane landing at Ostafyevo airport. Speculation ran wild, especially as an incident in the Democratic Republic of Congo four years ago saw Prigozhin reported to have died in a plane crash, only to emerge days later.
