Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that a grenade blast brought down the plane carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the private military company known as Wagner.

Speaking at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin stated that they had discovered fragments of hand grenades in the bodies of those who perished in the jet crash that claimed Prigozhin’s life.

The incident occurred in August, between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, when Prigozhin’s private plane crashed in a field, resulting in the loss of all 10 individuals on board, including Prigozhin himself. This event transpired just two months after Prigozhin had led a brief mutiny against Russia’s top military leadership, further complicating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Putin’s statement has cast doubt on earlier speculations, notably those by US officials. They believed that the plane might have been shot down. The Russian leader emphatically asserted, “There was no external impact on the plane – this is already an established fact.”

Putin on grenade and drug tests:

In addition to addressing the grenade fragments found in the victims’ bodies, Putin also criticized investigators for failing to conduct alcohol and drug tests on Prigozhin and the other nine crash victims. This omission has raised questions about potential factors that could have contributed to the incident.

Moreover, Putin disclosed that searches carried out at Wagner’s offices in St. Petersburg following the crash yielded astonishing discoveries. Authorities reportedly uncovered a staggering 10 billion roubles (equivalent to $100 million) in cash, along with a significant quantity of cocaine weighing 5 kilograms (approximately 11 pounds).

To provide some visual context to the tragedy, Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti released a video showing a plane in descent, notably with a visibly absent wing. While CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video, RIA Novosti has asserted that it captures the crucial moment when the Embraer jet plummeted from the sky over the Tver region. The video raises further questions about the circumstances leading to the plane’s crash, as the cause remains shrouded in uncertainty.

Russian authorities have expressed their unwavering commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident, including search operations and forensic analysis, to shed light on the plane crash that claimed the lives of Yevgeny Prigozhin and nine others.