Putin Bolsters Power Base After Prigozhin Dies in Jet Crash
- Many in elite say Wagner leader’s demise is stabilizing factor
- US official says it probably was Putin-approved assassination
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The plane crash that killed Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin restored Vladimir Putin’s reputation as Russia’s unchallengeable leader for many of the country’s elite, even as the cause of the disaster may never be fully established.
The mercenary leader’s demise removes a man who had courted impunity after leading the mutiny that threatened the Russian president’s grip on power. His elimination is a strong stabilizing factor for Putin’s regime because it shows that anyone challenging him comes to a bad end, according to four people close to the authorities, who asked not to be identified because the matter was sensitive.