World questions news of Prigozhin’s death – DW – 08/24/2023

Marina Miron, a defense analyst from King’s College in London, told DW that it’s hard to ascertain whether Prigozhin is dead.

“It’s very difficult because we don’t really have any sort of verification,” she said.

A second plane belonging to Prigozhin’s was apparently safe, she said.

“What we know is that his name was on the passenger list, but we don’t know if he was on the plane,” she said, adding that “traveling together with another high profile person on the same plane would seem very unlikely.”

Wagner founder Dmitry Utkin is also presumed to have died in the plane crash that allegedly killed Prigozhin.

Miron said Prigozhin’s death, if it was a targeted killing by the Kremlin, “would be a hallmark of Putin’s revenge.”

“His death, if he’s dead, had to be equally spectacular as to show who is still in power and that Putin will not tolerate any treason or disloyalty,” she said.

Asked about the possible fate of the Wagner mercenaries without Prigozhin, she said: “I don’t think they have the power to stand up or to organize any sort of their own rebellion (…) This alleged assassination is another display of what will happen if you actually do go against the regime.”

“Nothing has really changed. And even during his mutiny, it didn’t really have any effect on what was happening on the battlefield,” she said, referring to the Wagner uprising in late June.