Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner Group military company, arrives during a funeral ceremony at the Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow, April 8, 2023.APWASHINGTON — Russian President Vladimir Putin broke his silence Thursday in quick, impersonal remarks to the families involved in the fatal plane crash believed to have killed Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.Prigozhin, who was once Putin’s personal chef and confidant, was living in exile following an attempt in June to revolt over frustrations stemming from a lack of Russian battlefield successes in Ukraine.”With regard to this plane crash, first of all, I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of all the victims. It’s always a tragedy,” Putin said in a televised speech.”I’ve known Prigozhin for a long time, since the early ’90′s,” Putin said, describing him as a “talented businessman” with a “complicated fate” who “made serious mistakes in his life.”The Russian leader stopped short of confirming Prigozhin’s death but did speak in the past tense when referring to the 62-year-ol …
