Putin Claims Hand Grenades, Not Missile, Downed Wagner Chief's Jet

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Yevgeny Prigozhin's private jet was downed by hand grenades detonated onboard, not shot down by a missile.

Putin said grenade fragments were found in the bodies of the crash victims, suggesting occupants may have been high or drunk.

The Wagner Group boss died in August when his jet fell out of the sky outside Moscow, 2 months after leading a mutiny against Russia's military.

Putin had labeled Prigozhin a traitor before reaching a truce, leading critics to accuse Putin of having him killed in revenge.

Putin later eulogized Prigozhin as a "talented businessman" who made "serious mistakes," seeming to repudiate claims Russia shot down the jet.