LIVING DEAD
REBEL warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin was declared dead after his private jet was downed in a fireball crash.
But there are suspicions Putin's pal-turned-foe could still be alive after details of his funeral were largely cloaked in secrecy.
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Wagner chief Prigozhin, 62, was presumed dead last Wednesday when his private jet nosedived out of the sky and exploded in a fiery crash that killed all ten onboard.
Days later, his remains were identified by DNA testing, Russia's Investigative Committee said.
Speculation is rife Prigozhin was killed on Putin's orders after denting the tyrant's authority with a short-lived coup just two months earlier.
And the Kremlin "remains worried" about the mercenary's challenge to the Russian government despite confirming his death, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
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The think tank claims leaders in Moscow are taking steps to silence details on Priogzhin's funeral.
Prigozhin previously faked his own death and was declared dead in Africa in 2019 before re-emerging three days later.
Now at least five chilling clues have come to light fuelling conspiracy theories Prigozhin may indeed have dodged death.
'Body double on plane'
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It is rumoured Prigozhin's body double was on the doomed jet rather than the warlord himself.
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Billionaire Prigozhin was known to use body doubles, and famously, to use multiple disguises himself.
Russian political analyst Dr Valery Solovey claimed the Wagner boss is "alive, well and free" in an unnamed country.
Dr Solovey, a former professor at Moscow’s Institute of International Relations, has accused Russian authorities of lying over Prigozhin's DNA being found at the crash site.
He believes Prigozhin's body double, which he was known to use, got on his Embraer Legacy 600 business jet in his place.
Dr Solovey said: "Prigozhin himself was not on board. His double was flying instead of him.
"By the way, Vladimir Putin is perfectly aware of that.
"If you believe official statements of the Russian authorities, then what can I say."
Pictures emerged in the wake of the June coup led by Prigozhin showing the warlord’s purported doubles.
One was pictured in a Russian passport with Prigozhin’s name.
Prigozhin was also pictured in a passport with a fake name.
'Fake wife at funeral'
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The supposed wife of Priogzhin was pictured at his funeral on Tuesday - but it is claimed it was actually the spouse of his body double.
A woman seen at Porokhovskoye graveyard in St Petersburg was first identified as the former hotdog seller's reclusive wife, Lyubov Prigozhina, 52.
But Russian media outlets later claimed it was Irina Krasavina - the spouse of his main body double Leonid Krasavin - who visited the tomb.
The funeral was shrouded in secrecy and security was ramped up - with Putin's henchmen seen flanking the gates.
Bizarre poem by headstone
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A framed poem left propped by Prigizhin's headstone among flowers and tributes has raised eyebrows.
According to the Kremlin-endorsed media outlet Moskovskij Komsomolets, it reads: "How do I step on the threshold, not understanding, not deciding.
"Are you my son or God? That is, dead or alive?"
The words are an excerpt from a poem penned by Soviet Union writer Joseph Brodsky, titled Still Life.
Although many have suggested it is merely a heartfelt tribute, others believe it is yet another indicator Prigozhin wasn't actually killed.
It was also pointed out that Brodsky's work was an interesting choice, due to the fact he regularly warred with Soviet leaders.
Mystery second plane
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Rumours Prigozhin escaped death erupted after a second jet linked to the Wagner boss was spotted rushing to Moscow.
The aircraft was seen on a flight radar going from St Petersburg to Moscow half an hour before the stricken plane crashed just 31 miles from Putin's lavish palace at Valdai, northern Russia.
Footage showed the second jet - an Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 650 aircraft with the registration RA-02748 - landing at Ostafyevo airport.
Keir Giles, a Russia expert with the international affairs think tank Chatham House, warned Prigozhin may still be alive.
He said: "Multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeniy Prigozhin, as part of his efforts to obfuscate his travels.
"Let's not be surprised if he pops up shortly in a new video from Africa."
Warlord 'seen in new vid'
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A newly emerged video shows Priogozhin commenting on his "elimination" and whether he is "alive".
The clip shows Prigozhin insisting he is "fine" while wearing military fatigues in a car.
He says: "For those discussing whether or not I am alive.
"How am I doing?
"It's the weekend, the second half of August [20]23.
"I am in Africa.
"So fans of discussing my elimination, intimate life, earnings or whatever, as a matter of fact, everything is fine."
The video was shared by Grey Zone, a Telegram channel linked to Wagner.
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It is unclear which date the video was filmed - but it has fuelled speculation the warlord is still alive.
He is known to have been in Africa - where Wagner has military operations - before returning to Moscow ahead of the air crash.