A funeral for Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was held "behind closed doors", despite rumours the military leader is still alive and well.
Prigozhin, nicknamed "Putin's chef", was one of 10 killed in a plane crash on August 23, with foul play and faked death rumours following.
A "farewell ceremony" was held for the militia head at a cemetery in St Petersburg, according to his press team following the confirmation of his death through DNA testing.
READ MORE: Wagner boss Prigozhin's plane crash theories – wine bomb, spy hit job or still alive
His death comes just two months after a failed coup against Russian president Vladimir Putin, who was allegedly behind the crash which wiped out Prigozhin and alleged Wagner Group founder Dmitry Utkin.
A Telegram statement from Prigozhin's press office read: "The farewell to Yevgeny Viktorovich [Prigozhin] took place in a closed format. Those who wish to say goodbye may visit Porokhovskoye cemetery."
His secret funeral was not attended by president Putin, whose Kremlin officials confirmed he would not be making an appearance.
The private service comes as rumours over a body double were launched, with some claiming the Wagner leader is still "alive".
The Daily Star reported on the allegations of Prigozhin's faked death, with Russian expert Valery Solovey saying despite the confirmed death, the militia head could still be alive.
-
ISIS bride who bought slave girl, 5, and chained her in Iraq heat to die is locked up
Mr Solovey claimed: "First, the plane in which Yevgeny Prigozhin was supposed to fly was downed by a Russian air defence system – there was no explosion on board.
"Prigozhin himself was not on board. His double was flying instead of him – Vladimir Putin is perfectly aware of that."
Despite being "perfectly aware" of the body double on board the Embraer Legacy 600, some have claimed he ordered the plane to be shot down.
The Daily Star collected the varying rumours around the death of Prigozhin, including one allegation of a wine bomb being planted on the jet just hours before take-off.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
Source: Read Full Article