Shameless Putin sends condolences to Wagner boss Prigozhin’s family after rebel leader’s jet ‘blows up in assassination’

PUTIN has sent his 'condolences' to Yevgeny Prigozhin's family after the Wagner leader's jet exploded.

This is the first time Putin has spoken out since the horror plane crash that reportedly killed Wagner Group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin and nine others.

The Russian president shared his condolences and described Prigozhin as a talented businessman.

He claimed Russia will look into what investigators say regarding the crash, but expertise on the incident will take time.

Putin had initially refused to comment on the crash, but the Russian leader has now decided to paid tribute to his former chef.

"What concerns this air crash, first of all, I want to express sincere condolences to the families of all those who died. It is always a tragedy," Putin said in a televised address.

"Indeed, if they were there and, according to the initial information, Wagner Company employees were on board, I want to note that those people made a significant contribution to our common cause of fighting the Nazi regime in Ukraine. 

"We remember this, we know this and we will not forget this."

Putin added he has known Prigozhin for a long time, "since the beginning of the 1990s".

Seemingly referencing the Wagner boss' failed mutiny, Putin said: "He was a person with a complicated background.

"He made serious mistakes in his life and he achieved the necessary results, both for himself and, when I asked him, for the common cause, as during the past few months. 

"He was a talented person, a talented businessman.

"He worked not only in our country, and with good results too, but abroad too, in Africa in particular. 

"He dealt with oil, gas, precious metals and stones there. 

"As I learned, he returned from Africa only yesterday. He met some officials here. 

"However, what happened exactly, the head of the Investigative Committee reported to me this morning.

"They have already begun a preliminary investigation of this incident, and it will be conducted fully and completed. 

"There is no doubt about this. We will hear soon what the investigators say."

Putin's comments come 24 hours after the jet crashed just north of Moscow.

US officials believe the plane crash was intentionally caused by an explosion, according to AP sources.

A preliminary US intelligence assessment found the plane was downed deliberately, US and Western officials said.

One of the officials, who could not be named, said the explosion was in line with Vladimir Putin's "long history of trying to silence his critics".

The officials did not offer any further details on what caused the explosion.

The flight attendant on board, Kristina Raspopova, complained about waiting for unexplained repairs to the Wagner boss' doomed jet before it crashed.

It comes as rumours suggest explosives were loaded onto the plane hidden inside an "expensive wine" crate before ten people were killed in the fiery smash.

Prigozhin's death took place exactly two months after the rebel warlord's failed coup - and it has already sparked fears of another.

The bodies of all ten people who died in the fiery crash have been taken to a morgue for forensic examination.

According to reports, Prigozhin's phone has been found among the wreckage.

Flowers and patches of the Wagner logo have since been left at a memorial in front of the PMC Wagner Centre in St Petersburg.

Footage showed the aircraft spiralling towards the ground from 28,000ft, with smoke pouring from the fuselage.

Seconds later snaps of the aftermath showed the mangled wreckage of the white Embraer Legacy 600 business jet in a fiery heap.

It went up in flames just 31 miles from Putin's lavish palace at Valdai, northern Russia, killing all ten onboard.