The death of Wagner boss Prigozchin has not been officially confirmed. That fuels the rumors about the crash all the more, reports ARD correspondent Ina Ruck. Speculations range from false identities to France.
Even the day after the deadly plane crash in the Tver region of Russia, there was no official confirmation of who was on board the machine. And so it remains unclear whether the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose name was on the passenger list, was actually one of the fatalities.
There is a lot of speculation, especially on the internet, about this question and about what could be behind the crash ARD correspondent Ina jerk. Whereby all circulating theories are exclusively rumors and unconfirmed conjectures.
A targeted attack?
One theory: it was a targeted attack, because according to the passenger list, almost the entire top management of the mercenary force was on board the plane. The fact that this was on board has not yet been officially confirmed. And according to Ruck, it will also take a while before the identity of the recovered bodies can be determined using DNA analysis, since the dead were probably badly burned.
But it was precisely those severe burns that fueled the rumors. It could have exploded a bomb on board, it was said. Or the machine could have been shot down – an assumption that was made shortly after the crash became known. This assumption was one of the first to be spread via the “Grey Zone” telegram channel, which is close to the Wagner Group.
Did a “fake Prigozhin” die?
But there is also speculation about a “fake Prigozhin on board,” he said jerk further. So the crash served as a cover-up to allow the Wagner boss to go underground? At least it is known that Prigozhin had several doubles. Passports were found in the army chief’s apartment in St. Petersburg, made out to different identities. And several people took Prigozchin’s first and last name – at his personal request.
Joint plans of France and Niger?
There is another “a bit crazy” theory circulating, he said shock further. Namely, that France and the Nigerien government, which was deposed by a coup, could be behind an alleged attack.
The background to this is that putsch. France is demanding that President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been ousted as a result, be reinstated. Rumors surfaced online that Franco-African troops would invade Niger to achieve this goal in order to overthrow the putschists. But France and Niger would have “wanted to get rid of” the Wagner troops who were also active in Africa.