UPDATE: Putin says fragments of hand grenades found in Prigozhin's plane crash victims

ADDS DETAILS, CHANGES HEAD, DECK, LEDE

By Elena Teslova, Emre Gurkan Abay and Ali Cura

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday the plane crash that killed Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin in August was caused by hand grenades detonating inside the aircraft, not by a missile attack.

“Fragments of hand grenades were found in the bodies of those killed in the crash,” Putin said at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi.

There was no external effect on the plane, he said, adding it is a “proven fact,” from an investigation carried out by the Investigative Committee of Russia.

Noting that drugs were found in Prigozhin's house and Wagner's offices, he said there was no expert examination for alcohol or drugs in the blood of the deceased.

He emphasized that there is no consensus about whether there is a need for Wagner-like groups in Russia, but noted several thousand fighters from Wagner have signed a contract with the Russian Armed Forces.

"They can participate in military operations if they want," he said.

Prigozhin died in a plane crash on Aug. 23, two months after Wagner attempted a short-lived rebellion against the Russian government.

Wagner has had a rising international profile in recent years through its deployment in Africa, as well as in Ukraine, where Moscow launched a "special military operation" in February 2022.

Putin also warned that no enemy stands a chance to survive if Russia launches a retaliatory nuclear strike as its potential is incomparably greater.

"To date, there will be no chance for the aggressor to survive in the event of our response,” he said. “I don't see the need to change that. No sane person would think of using nuclear weapons against Russia.

He said the Russian military doctrine provides two reasons for the use of nuclear weapons: a response to a missile launched on Russian territory and if the existence of the state is threatened.