He said experts investigating the crash found no signs that the private jet had been “impacted from outside.” A preliminary assessment by US intelligence also concluded that a deliberate explosion caused the crash.

A Russian investigation has been launched but no results have been released. Russia has rejected an offer from Brazil, which built the crashed Embraer commercial jet, to join the investigation.

Although Mr Putin noted that the investigation was ongoing and did not say what caused the crash, his statement appeared to imply that a grenade explosion was responsible for bringing down the plane.

Putin also noted that 5 kilograms of cocaine were found during a search of Prigozhin’s office in St. Petersburg. After his death, the Russian president described Prigozhin, 62, as “a man with a difficult fate” who “made a serious mistake in his life.”

Last week, President Putin met with one of Wagner’s top commanders in charge of “volunteer units” fighting in Ukraine. He also said on October 5 that thousands of Wagner soldiers had signed contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry.

Hoang Nam (according to AP)