Wagner mercenary boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been buried privately in a “farewell ceremony” in a St Petersburg cemetery, according to his press team.
Prigozhin was killed in a plan crash North of Moscow on 23 August, two months to the day since he led a failed mutiny against top Russian officials.
The aborted rebellion where he had demanded the ousting of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s rule since he rose to power in 1999.
In a statement on Telegram, the Wagner chief’s Press Service said: “The farewell to Yevgeny Viktorovich [Prigozhin] took place in a closed format. Those who wish to say goodbye may visit Porokhovskoye cemetery.”
Secrecy had surrounded the funeral arrangements and the Kremlin said earlier that Mr Putin would not attend.
Genetic tests confirmed that Prigozhin had died in last Wednesday’s crash, Russia’s investigative committee announced on Sunday.
The nine other people killed included two top Wagner Group figures – Prigozhin’s right-hand man Dmitry Utkin and head of logistics Valery Chekalov – as well as four of his bodyguards and three crew members.
At the Severnoye cemetery in St Petersburg on Tuesday, Chekalov’s family was joined by dozens of people, some of whom were believed to be Wagner mercenaries and employees from Prigozhin’s business empire.
A preliminary US intelligence assessment concluded an intentional explosion caused the crash, and Western officials have pointed to a long list of Mr Putin’s foes who have been assassinated.
