Bill Browder, a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin, conveyed to CNN on Wednesday his firm belief that the responsibility for the plane crash involving the purported presence of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military group, lies unequivocally with the Russian President.

According to Browder, who serves as the CEO of Hermitage Capital Management and was formerly the largest foreign investor in Russia prior to his expulsion from the country, Putin is characterized by an unforgiving and unwavering nature. Browder expounded that Prigozhin’s actions amounted to a betrayal of Putin, evidencing disloyalty and the orchestration of a rebellion.

Browder further emphasized that Putin’s position as a steadfast authoritarian ruler spanning 23 years would not permit him to overlook such an affront. The incident with Prigozhin, by undermining Putin’s authoritative image, would set an undesirable precedent that challenges his rule. This, Browder posited, is the root cause of the unfolding events, as the perception of weakness is incompatible with Putin’s strongman persona.

For context, the crash of the plane carrying Prigozhin occurred in a fatal manner northwest of Moscow, as confirmed by Russian authorities. This incident transpired just a few months subsequent to Prigozhin’s initiation of a mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. The insurrection in June was ultimately terminated through a negotiated agreement, compelling Prigozhin and his loyalists to relocate to Belarus.