Putin’s right-hand man was apparently behind the murder of the murderous Wagner boss Prigozhin. The bomb was attached to the wing of his plane and caused a fireball crash because it “had to be removed.”

The killing of warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin was “instigated” by Nikolai Patrushev, Vladimir Putin’s closest security adviser, it was said today.

Progozhin – formerly close to Putin and head of Wagner’s private army – died in a plane crash in August, months after he launched a failed coup against the Kremlin.

Now an investigation by the Wall Street Journal shows that a “small explosive device” was “crammed under the wing” and that the shady ex-RFD security service chief Patrushev (72) was behind the murder.

In October, Putin, 71, suspected Prigozhin and his colleagues were high on cocaine when they fired hand grenades at his corporate jet.

He claimed that “hand grenade fragments were discovered in the bodies of those who died in the plane crash.”

Progozhin – formerly close to Putin and head of Wagner’s private army – died in a plane crash in August, months after he launched a failed coup against the Kremlin.

In October, Putin (71) suspected that Prigozhin and his associates were high on cocaine when they fired hand grenades at his corporate jet.

But the magazine quoted a former Russian intelligence official as saying that Patrushev “in his office in central Moscow instructed his aides to continue planning an operation to destroy Progozhin” – leading the failed armed coup opposed the high command that Putin took over in June. led, staged. .

Western intelligence agencies said Putin “was later shown the plans and did not object,” the report said. This suggests that Putin has given his blessing.

The Kremlin has previously denied Putin’s involvement in ordering the killing of former ally Prigozhin and today claimed the WSJ report was “pulp literature”.

The dictator’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said: “We have seen this material but do not want to comment on it.”

“It is unlikely that any comments can be made on such material.”

The WSJ said the bomb was placed on Prigozhin’s Embraer Legacy 600 before it took off with Prigozhin and nine others on board.

Among the others were his military commander Dmitry Utkin (53) and flight attendant Kristina Raspopova (39), who revealed to her family a mysterious delay in the departure of the flight with the warlord on board.

All were killed when the plane was thrown from the sky at an altitude of 8,500 meters, about 30 minutes after it left Moscow on its way to St.

Western intelligence agencies said that Putin “was shown the plans and did not object,” the new report said. It suggested that Putin (seen directly opposite Prigozhin) had given his blessing

A Wall Street Journal investigation found that a “small explosive device” had been planted under the wing and that questionable former head of the FSB security service, Nikolai Patrushev (pictured in November), 72, was behind the killing.

The crash site of the private jet Yevgeny Prigozhin in the Tver region, Russia, in August 2023

A Kremlin source was quoted as saying of Prigozhin that he would have to be “removed” after the coup.

The 72-year-old Patrushev is known to wield extraordinary influence in the Kremlin, and some even claim that he is the real source of power in Russia.

He is described as Putin’s “oldest ally and confidant” and is officially secretary of the Security Council, which is chaired by the president.

He warned Putin that Prigozhin was becoming too powerful and a loose cannon in the Russian power structure.

Patrushev is widely believed to be aiming for his son Dmitri, 46, to take over Putin’s presidency when the longtime dictator steps down.

Dmitri is currently the Minister of Agriculture.

A former CIA station chief, Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, was quoted by the magazine as explaining the length of time between the failed coup and the alleged assassination attempt.

“You can see what Putin’s plan was: to keep the dead man going so he can continue to find out what happened,” he said.

Russian media reported that DNA tests confirmed that Prigozhin – who was known to use body doubles – died in the crash.

The crash also killed flight attendant Kristina Raspopova, 39, who told her relatives of a mysterious delay in the departure of the flight carrying the warlord

Reports that he received a tip, missed the plane and now fled abroad are considered conspiracy theories.

Pro-Kremlin political scientist Sergei Markov claimed that the West wanted to discredit Patrushev, who was seen as a runner.

“Apparently the West now wants negotiations on Ukraine, and for some reason they hate Patrushev and want to kick Patrushev out of Putin’s team,” he claimed.

The official investigation into the Russian plane crash has been shrouded in secrecy.