The president described Prigozhin as 'a person with a complicated background who made serious mistakes in his life' - but noted that he was also a successful entrepreneur.
According to Mr Putin, Prigozhin had returned from Africa only yesterday - and had then gone on to meet Russian officials in Moscow.
The president has been widely accused of having involvement in the crash - with some Western experts believing Mr Putin may have ordered Prigozhin's assassination. This cannot be verified.Wagner fighter breaks down at memorial A makeshift memorial has been built by Prigozhin's supporters at Wagner's headquarters in St Petersburg.
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