Russian Security Council Secretary Allegedly Ordered Assassination of Wagner Chief: Report

Russian President Vladimir Putin's right-hand man, Nikolai Patrushev, allegedly ordered the assassination of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner mercenary group, following a brief mutiny in Russia. Patrushev saw Prigozhin as a threat due to his open criticism of top Russian military officials and his growing power. Putin did not object to the order, according to the report. Prigozhin and other top Wagner commanders were killed in August when their plane exploded, with the report contradicting Putin's claim that the explosion was caused by mishandled grenades. The Kremlin dismissed the report as "pulp fiction."