"Putin's Controversial Connections: Prigozhin's Death and the Wagner Warlord's Reported Demise"

The Kremlin is facing calls for a military funeral for Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner mercenary group, who died in a plane crash last week. The decision on the funerals of Prigozhin, mercenary commander Dmitry Utkin, and others in their group rests with their families, according to the Kremlin. The calls for a military funeral highlight the ongoing divisions within Russia over the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin is attempting to separate Prigozhin, whom President Vladimir Putin has condemned as a traitor, from the Wagner group, which he has praised for its fight in Ukraine. However, the Kremlin faces a delicate balance in handling the funerals, as any perceived snub of Prigozhin's funeral could be seen as evidence of Kremlin involvement in the plane crash.