Many have speculated, without evidence, that Putin was behind the plane crash that is believed to have killed Prigozhin this week.
“He made serious mistakes in his life,” Putin said before adding his “sincere condolences” to those killed in the crash.
The plane went down approximately 100 miles from Moscow on Wednesday.
According to Russia’s civilian aviation agency, Prigozhin, his right-hand man Dmitry Utkin, and eight others are believed to have been on board the flight.
“There has been no other confirmation besides the passenger list for Prigozhin and Utkin’s death,” The Hill reports. “The cause of the crash is still being investigated, but several outlets reported that an internal explosion may have brought the aircraft down.”
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said he believes Prigozhin was on board and killed.
“Our initial assessment, based on a variety of factors, is that he was likely killed,” Ryder said during a press briefing.
Ryder declined to comment on what the US believes to have caused the crash.
The Wagner Group attempted to stage a coup against Putin in June.
