GRISLY TASK
THE remains of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin have finally been identified by DNA testing confirming the warlord was killed in a plane crash.
The mercenary leader's Embraer Legacy 600 private jet was blown out of the sky in a fiery crash killing all ten onboard last week.
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Russia's Investigative Committee said today that after forensic testing all 10 bodies recovered at the site of the crash were identified.
Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said: "Molecular-genetic examinations have been completed as part of the investigation into the plane crash in the Tver region.
"According to their results, the identities of all 10 victims were established they correspond to the list stated in the flight list."
Russia's civil aviation authority earlier this week said Prigozhin, along with some of his top lieutenants, were on the list of those on board the plane that crashed Wednesday.
Among the other nine victims was Dmitry Utkin, a shadowy figure with Nazi tattoos seen as Prigozhin's deputy.
He managed Wagner's operations and allegedly had previously served in Russian military intelligence.
Also onboard was Prigozhin's flight attendant Kristina Raspopova, 39, who had revealed hours earlier to her relatives both a mysterious delay to the flight and unexplained repairs being made to the jet.
Prigozhin 62, was presumed dead after his private plane crashed in Kuzhenkino, some 60 miles north of Moscow.
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The crash came exactly two months after the Wagner chief's failed mutiny against Vladimir Putin.
The crash has sparked speculation that Moscow may have been involved - especially after an unknown second jet linked to Prigozhin was spotted rushing to Moscow.
Western intelligence agencies reportedly believe an explosive was detonated on board the plane and the blame has been placed at the door of the Kremlin.
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the crash as "tragic" to reporters on Friday and called rumours of possible foul play an "absolute lie".
Meanwhile, an engineer who carried out mysterious last-minute repairs to the doomed jet is under interrogation by Russian authorities.
Engineer Sergey Kitrish, 41, has reportedly been quizzed by Moscow since the crash.
Russian Telegram channel VChK-OGPU reported that he "constantly worked with Prigozhin's aircraft and it was he who carried out the last repairs to replace the landing gear brake and turbo cooler."
It was previously revealed that a turbo-refrigerator “of unknown origin” was fitted on the jet last minute.
The channel said: "Shortly after the explosion, Kitrash was taken under the care of the [Russian] special services and taken to the crash site.”
He was quizzed by leading crash investigator Col. Ivan Sibul.
“He was interrogated and now the fate of Kitrash is being decided. They haven't let him go home yet.
“The fate of two more engineers who participated in the installation of equipment is not known."
Rumours have swirled of a bomb being planted in a wine crate on the plane during the last-minute repairs.
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The West believes that Vladimir Putin likely ordered the assassination of Prigozhin, his former associate, dubbed "Putin's chef" following his failed coup back in June.
But the Kremlin has denied the accusations while the Russian leader sent his "condolences" to Prigozhin's family.
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