Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘buried privately in St Petersburg cemetery’

Other cemeteries in the Russian city had previously been mentioned in media reports as likely sites for the burial.

Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has been buried privately in a “farewell ceremony” in a St Petersburg cemetery, according to his press team.

Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash north of Moscow on 23 August, two months to the day since he led a failed mutiny against top Russian officials.

The aborted rebellion, where he had demanded the ousting of defence minister Sergei Shoigu, was the biggest challenge to President Putin’s rule since he rose to power in 1999.

A portrait of Yevgeny Prigozhin on his grave in St Petersburg. Pic: STR/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Flowers are seen on Prigozhin’s grave after his funeral at the Porokhovskoye cemetery. Pic: AP

Pictures from the Porokhovskoye cemetery showed Prigozhin’s dark granite tombstone surrounded by an array of flowers, mostly red roses. He is believed to have been buried next to his father.

In a statement on Telegram, the Wagner chief’s press service said: “The farewell to Yevgeny Viktorovich [Prigozhin] took place in a closed format. Those who wish to say goodbye may visit Porokhovskoye cemetery.”

Other cemeteries in the Russian city had previously been mentioned in media reports as likely sites for Tuesday’s burial.

Secrecy had surrounded the funeral arrangements and the Kremlin said earlier that Mr Putin would not attend.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov would not give any details about the burial because it was a private family matter.

Genetic tests confirmed Prigozhin had died in last Wednesday’s crash, Russia’s investigative committee announced on Sunday.

It did not say what might have caused his private jet to plummet from the sky minutes after taking off from the capital heading to St Petersburg.

Sky News spoke to two members of the public, Kirill and Stas, who were passing by the closed cemetery and were asked who they thought killed Prigozhin.

Kirill said: “I think that there are a lot of people who are interested [in his death]. We are mere mortals, we will unlikely get to know about [who is behind it]. The rest is hype and speculation.”

Stas said: “Who am I to judge who is responsible? We are small people. I will say so, I think he’s in a better world now.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/wagner-boss-prigozhin-buried-privately-in-st-petersburg-cemetery-press-service-12950189

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