Putin Cover-Up? Bomb Hidden in Wine Crate May Have Blown Up Prigozhin Jet, Engineer Arrested

A Russian engineer is reportedly being interrogated in connection with the plane crash that killed Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to authorities.

As Front Page Detectives previously reported, the private jet exploded in mid-air two months after Prigozhin’s failed coup. All ten people on board the plane were killed.

The crash's details have led to suspicions of wrongdoing involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting the potential placement of a bomb during last minute repairs, according to RadarOnline.com.

Authorities said 41-year-old engineer Sergey Kitrish was taken into custody shortly after the explosion and has been under investigation ever since. Radar reported that Kitrish was questioned by leading crash investigator Col. Ivan Sibul and authorities are currently deciding his fate.

Before the crash occurred, new details claim Prigozhin’s flight attendants had complained about waiting for unexplained repairs to be completed, officials said.

According to Radar, investigators determined a turbo-refrigerator “of unknown origin” was fitted on the jet at the last minute. During these repairs, a bomb could have been hidden in a wine crate.

Two other engineers, Artur Michenkov and Aleksey Anshuvkov, involved in the repairs have been identified, but their roles in the incident are not yet clear.

Officials say Alexandra Yulina, the boss of VIP airline Rusjet, was present on the plane before its final flight and is considered another person of interest.

Sources claim Yulina was inspecting the Embraer Legacy 600 with the intention of purchasing it. There is footage showing her inspecting the aircraft eight hours before the crash took place. Radar noted Yulina was falsely registered as a passenger on the plane and was allowed on board, which raises concerns of a possible security breach.

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The manager of the plane accompanied Yulina and Rusjet technical director Sergey Klokotov during their visit to the plane. She claimed no items were left in the cabin, but did admit there were technical problems that required repairs before the flight, which lead to a delay of over a day.

The turbo-cooler, originally imported from the US, evading sanctions, was damaged, and a substitute part of unknown origin was used, RadarOnline.com reported.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing. The black boxes from the plane have been located and are currently being examined. Investigators are also conducting DNA tests on the charred remains of the ten victims.