This is a guy who was known to hire body doubles and he had numerous passports.

  • WorldWideLem@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Probably exactly what has been reported. Putin waited for things to settle, weakened Wagner troops by taking their weapons and splitting their numbers, then they killed leadership. Occam’s razor certainly points to this.

    But, of course, the way it was done certainly leaves the door open for conspiracies.

    • themoonisacheese@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Even if he’s not dead, his mercenaries believe that he is. If they’re getting paid, they’ll do what leadership tells them. If not, they won’t. Simple as, he’s not an elected leader, his death just means his company has shit to figure out, but his non-death means shit will keep going as it was.

      • severien@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Wagner is not a PMC and wagnerites not real mercenaries. Most of them are ultra-nationalists and that’s their primary motivation to fight. There are some weird Nazi/cult elements. Prigozhin has built up that cult, he’s not easily replaceable.

      • jeffw@lemmy.worldOP
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        1 year ago

        Not necessarily. The mercenaries are spreading a lot of these conspiracies through Telegram. I don’t have polling available, so idk how many of them think he’s alive.

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      While certainly would be Putin’s style, I would’ve expected them to wait until BRICS summit was over given that I doubt they wanted to remind everybody of the whole mutiny business.

  • Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    This is a guy who humiliated Putin 2 month ago with his protest (attempted coup ? ) to Moscow. Considering how Putin treats his opponent it’s crazy that he survived that long.

    yes it could be a body double and he is hiding on the same island as Elvis, but let’s believe the simplest hypothesis

  • sylver_dragon@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m assuming Prigozhin got arrogant and thought Putin wouldn’t touch him. And Putin decided that the proximity warhead on an S-200 missile blowing an aircraft apart wasn’t technically “touching”.

    • jeffw@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Intelligence has confirmed it wasn’t a missile strike, from my understanding. Seems like an engine exploded, probably tampering.

  • jcit878@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    it would be mighty embarrassing for Russia if he were to show up alive somewhere now, so this time I’ll believe them. they had every reason to kill him as publicly as they apparently have

  • gnygnygny@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Putin waited patiently that all the wagner’s guys were in the same plane to make a strike. They were enough stupid to take offer him such a good opportunity. Wagner’s troops were already in difficulties now putins has cuts the heads.

  • Call me Lenny/Leni@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    British royal family: There’s a reason you’ll never find more than one of us on a plane at the same time.

    Russian officials: Hold my vodka!

  • M1ster2@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    I think he got scared and figured making his death seem as real as possible was a better alternative than not. The best way to run from your enemy is to make him think he already killed you, because then they stop looking. He wasn’t a stupid man and was known to be so paranoid he had all those body doubles and stuff like you said. It wouldn’t surprise me if he got unalived but IMO he wanted out from under Putins gaze.

  • Bell@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Two body doubles would have been needed, the #2 in command was also onboard. I think he’s really dead.