The Wall Street Journal has reported an investigation that the murder of Wagner’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was orchestrated over two months and received the approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s oldest ally and confidant, former spy Nikolai Patrushev. The investigation, based on information provided by Western intelligence officials and a former Russian intelligence officer, reveals that Patrushev, a former Soviet intelligence officer, conceived and implemented the plan to eliminate Putin’s former cook, together with another 10 loyalists, through an attack on board. explosion of his private plane.
The newspaper traces the historical ties between Putin and Patrushev, highlighting the latter’s remarkable career in the world of intelligence. In 2008, Putin promoted him from the position of director of the Federal Security Service to secretary of the Russian National Security Council, giving him significant influence over state security. It is then emphasized that Patrushev’s character, his closeness to Putin and his role as head of the security services for more than two decades have positioned him as the second most powerful person in Russia. According to the investigation, Patrushev began warning Putin about Prigozhin as early as 2022, highlighting growing tensions between the two.
The culmination of this hostility occurred on August 23, 2023, when a bomb, placed under one of the wings of Prigozhin’s Embracer Legacy 60, exploded in flight, killing him and 10 others on board. According to Western intelligence reports, the bomb was planted on the plane during a pre-flight check at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. The Kremlin promptly denied reconstruction by spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Source: IL Tempo

John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.