The Kremlin on August 30 said the mysterious plane crash that killed Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin could have been a “deliberate crime,” although it continued to say a probe by Russia’s Investigative Committee has not yet been completed.
"Since there are no conclusions, I can't tell you exactly. But it is obvious that there are different versions, among which one version is -- let's say, a deliberate crime,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news outlet RBC as saying.
Prigozhin, once a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, led a short-lived mutiny on June 24 that saw Wagner fighters seize the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and march to within 200 kilometers of Moscow.
Prigozhin called off the mutiny after an apparent deal with Putin that was said to have guaranteed his safety, but the Russian president nevertheless denounced the insurrection as a “stab in the back” and vowed to punish all "traitors" involved.
The suspicious nature of the plane crash -- which also killed top Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin -- has led many people to speculate that Putin was behind the incident.
The Kremlin has denied any connection to the crash.
The White House came close on August 29 to declaring that the Kremlin was responsible for the crash.
"We all know that the Kremlin has a long history of killing opponents," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "It's very clear what happened here."
Earlier on August 30, Russia said it had informed Brazil that its help in the probe of the crash of the Brazilian-made Embraer Legacy 600 jet would not be needed "at the moment."
Brazil's aircraft investigation authority (CENIPA) had said it would join an investigation if it were asked and if the probe were held under international rules. The Legacy 600 has a good safety record.
Russia is not obligated to accept outside help, but internationally accepted procedures generally call for the manufacturer of an aircraft to be involved in any crash investigation.
Reuters quoted former U.S. plane crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti as saying Moscow should accept help from Brazil, even if it only participates remotely. "If they don't, then this is a sure sign that the investigation will not be transparent," he said.
Prigozhin, 62, was buried was buried outside of St. Petersburg, his hometown, on August 29 in a private ceremony.