Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, the founder and leader of the private military force Wagner, died in a plane crash last week.
Days after the news of confirmed death of Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, a video went viral showing the mercenary leader in Africa talking about his health and speculations about his death and threats to his security. The video was filmed in August, he is heard saying, just a few days before the plane crash that killed him.
Dressed in camouflage clothes and a hat, Prigozhin’s attire matched with his appearance made on August 21, according to a Reuters report.
“For those discussing whether I am alive or not and how I am doing: it’s the weekend, the second half of August 2023, I am in Africa. So, fans of discussing my death, intimate life, earnings, etc - I am doing fine,” he says in the video in Russian, waving at the camera.
The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, sparked a huge debate. It was reportedly released on Telegram.
"Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated" - famous last words!” a user wrote. Meanwhile, another user said they were “very unsure of what to think” of the video.
"So he's doing fine now, 2m underground," a third user replied.
A business jet carrying Prigozhin, the founder and leader of the private military force Wagner, and his top lieutenants crashed halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg a week ago, killing all seven passengers and three crew members.
The crash occurred exactly two months after the mercenary leader mounted an armed rebellion against Russia's military leadership and challenged President Vladimir Putin's authority in the 23-year rule. The Kremlin has denied involvement in the crash.
Prigozhin, 62, was buried in St. Petersburg, his hometown, in a private ceremony that was shrouded in secrecy until Tuesday evening, when his spokespeople revealed the location of his grave.