Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has been laid to rest in a private service near St Petersburg.
Prigozhin, who came to prominence in the past year after his mercenary group proved an effective and brutal tool to Russia's war in Ukraine, wasHis press service said the funeral took place in a"closed format," but added all those""wishing to say goodbye can visit the Porokhovskoe cemetery".
There was no advance notice given for the service and Russian security forces placed the surrounding area in lockdown in an effort to prevent media and members of the public from attending.Media sources claimed only a small number of supporters and relatives were present at the event.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had earlier hinted at the President's absence, pointing to a"busy schedule". While the two men were once allies, Wagner's failed mutiny was the nail in the coffin for an increasingly strained relationship and it is widely believed President Putin ordered Prigozhin's plane be destroyed. Picture: Contributor/Getty Images
Russia's MSK1 website quoted cemetery officials as saying the funeral was held about 4pm on Tuesday, local time.Before his death, the Wagner leader had carved out a unique and powerful role in Russia.Russian channels published a photo of Prigozhin's grave, his father is buried nearby.
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