Putin will not attend Prigozhin's funeral: Kremlin

The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the funeral of Wagner Group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed last week in a plane crash. 

Prigozhin, who was once close to Putin but turned into a "traitor," was killed last Wednesday, two months after issuing orders to his forces to overthrow the Russian military leadership, seen by observers as the biggest challenge to Putin's authority since he took office. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday in response to a question about whether Putin would attend the funeral, "The president's attendance has not been planned.” 

There have been no public announcements regarding the timing or location of Prigozhin's burial. 

Peskov added, "We don't have specific information about the funeral. The decision in this regard is up to the family and friends." 

Last week, Putin described Prigozhin as a man "who made serious mistakes in his life, but achieved the desired results." 

The Kremlin denied speculations that it orchestrated the incident in revenge for Wagner's rebellion in June. 

AFP