Kremlin slams accusations of involvement in Prigozhin plane crash as lies

The Kremlin today flatly rejected Western "speculation" about its alleged link to Wednesday's crash of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane, in which all its occupants were killed.

"It's all lies," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at his first telematic press conference after a break of almost three weeks.

According to Peskov, there is now "a lot of speculation about the air disaster and the tragic death" of the aircraft's occupants, including Prigozhin.

The Kremlin spokesman added that in the West such "speculation" is presented from "a certain angle".

"When dealing with this issue, it is necessary to base oneself on facts," he said, while acknowledging that for the moment "there are not many facts" because an investigation is underway.

He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that he "awaits the results of the investigation, which will be concluded in the not too distant future".

As for the future of the mercenary company headed by Prigozhin, Peskov said he had no information about it.

Putin yesterday broke his 24-hour silence on the crash of Prigozhin's plane and stressed that the technical and genetic examinations to be carried out by specialists would require "some time".

At the same time, the Kremlin chief described the Wagner leader as "a talented man" and a good businessman who "made serious mistakes during his life, but achieved the necessary results".

Putin made the remarks as many analysts and independent media suggested he was behind the death of Prigozhin, who last appeared on Monday in a video allegedly recorded from Africa.

The Russian leader accused him of treason when Wagner's boss rebelled and arrived with his troops some 200 kilometres from Moscow, but later received him in the Kremlin and agreed to move his mercenaries to Belarus.