The former leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, "is still alive and is preparing revenge against the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin", said Russian expert Valery Solovey, reports "Daily Star".
The claims come just days after Russia confirmed that Prigozhin's body had been found at the site where his plane crashed last week near Moscow. It has been said that genetic analyzes have confirmed that one of the bodies found was Prigozhin's.
Prigozhin was among ten people who lost their lives when the Embraer Legacy 600 plane crashed near Moscow.
An explosion was reported inside the plane.
But, despite the confirmations, the Russian expert Solovey said that Prigozhin "is alive and is in another country".
The former professor of the Moscow Institute for International Relations said that Prigozhin was not on the plane at all.
also
The video message of Prigozhin that was filmed before he died is published
"First, the plane in which Yevgeny Prigozhin was supposed to fly was shot down by Russia's air defense system - there was no explosion inside the plane. Prigozhin was not on the plane at all. It was his societies - Vladimir Putin knows this very well. If you... believe the official statements of the Russian authorities, then what can I say...?” - Solovey stated.
Soloveyt has said that he will find out next month where Prigozhin is, but has denied that he is in Africa, where the Wagner mercenary group is present.
However, Prigozhin - whose funeral is expected to be held and which Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to attend - plans to appear himself at the end of the year.
