Putin says Prigozhin ‘made serious mistakes’ in first remarks since plane crash that likely killed the Wagner boss

WASHINGTON — 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-old. Putin said an investigation into what happened to the private jet carrying 10 people and departing from Moscow to St. Petersburg was already underway.

The Pentagon said Thursday that initial intelligence indicates that the Wagner chief died in the Wednesday plane crash.

“It’s likely Prigozhin was killed and we’re continuing to assess the situation,” said U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder during a Pentagon briefing.

“The press reporting stating that there was some type of surface-to-air missile; we assess that information to be inaccurate,” Ryder said, declining to elaborate further.

CNBC and NBC News have not confirmed Prigozhin’s death.

Former deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes told MSNBC that the attack “was not a mysterious accident.”

“This has all the hallmarks of appearing like a military-style takedown,” Rhodes said, adding that Prigozhin’s fate was eminent following a short-lived mutiny…