Wagner buries the tycoon

The head of the Russian private military corporation Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin was buried at the Porokhovskoye cemetery, outside his hometown of St. Petersburg.

"The farewell ceremony for Yevgeny Prigozhin will take place privately. Those who want to say goodbye can come to the Porokhovskoye cemetery," the tycoon's media agency posted on Telegram.

The independent news agency Agentstvo quoted a cemetery employee as saying that only 20-30 relatives and friends attended the 40-minute ceremony.

AFP reporters described the cemetery as being cordoned off to limit access. Media images showed Prigozhin’s grave strewn with flowers in a wooded cemetery. Police and the National Guard were also present in the area.

The Embraer Legacy 600 crashed in Tver Oblast on August 23 while flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Three crew members and seven passengers were killed, including Prigozhin and several top aides. Russian authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the accident.

The Kremlin said on August 28 that President Vladimir Putin "sent his condolences to the family of Yevgeny Prigozhin." Putin previously described Prigozhin as a talented businessman who had made serious mistakes but also managed to achieve success for himself and his common cause.

Speculation has been rife that the Kremlin may have been involved in the crash, which occurred exactly two months after Wagner staged a rebellion against Russia's military leadership. The Kremlin has dismissed the rumours as "complete lies".

Thanh Tam (According to Reuters, AFP )