Wagner Group mercenary cries at shrine for Yevgeny Prigozhin

       Yevgeny Prigozhin is alive after his body double was killed in last week's plane crash, a Russian analyst has claimed.

       The fanciful claim comes days after Russian officials said they had confirmed the brutal warlord's death through DNA analysis.

       Dr Valery Solovey made his astonishing assertion as a private burial was held for Prigozhin on Tuesday.

       The former professor at Moscow's Institute of International Relations [MGIMO] alleged that the violent warlord is alive and thirsty for revenge, having survived an assassination attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

       According to Dr. Solovey, the Wagner Group chief wasn’t on the plane that crashed north of Moscow last Wednesday, killing all on board. Rather, it was his body double.

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       READ MORE: Inside Prigozhin’s 'fake funerals' as hearses appear sparking chaos in Russia

       Bold claim: Russian analyst claims Prigozhin is alive and body double was killed in plane crash (Image: AP)

       Dr Solovey believes Russian officials lied about the DNA evidence to make it look like it was Prigozhin: “If you believe official statements of the Russian authorities, then what can I say…?”

       He went so far as to say Prigozhin is “alive, well, and free”, and is being hidden away in an unnamed country.

       He predicts Prigozhin will reveal himself later this year, but in the meantime, he’s planning revenge on Putin.

       The doc said: “He intends to take revenge on people who were intending to destroy him, and destroyed people close to him.”

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       Pictured: A private burial for Prigozhin just outside of St. Petersberg on Tuesday (Image: AP)

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       While his death was being refuted, there was a private burial for Prigozhin just outside of St. Petersberg, Moscow.

       His press service released the following statement: “The farewell to Yevgeny Viktorovich took place in a closed format. Those who wish to say goodbye may visit Porokhovskoye cemetery.”

       A wooden cross towered over his grave covered with flowers and two flags nearby — a Russian tricolor and a black Wagner flag.

       Russian media cited unidentified sources as saying Prigozhin was laid to rest Tuesday without any publicity, per his family’s wishes.

       Confirmed: Russian officials said they had confirmed the brutal warlord's death through DNA analysis (Image: Getty Images)

       Members of the Russian National Guard stood along the fence at the cemetery, steering visitors away after it closed for the day.

       Putin’s spokesman said the president would not attend the service.

       The Russian leader had decried the armed rebellion led by the Wagner chief in June as “treason” and “a stab in the back”, leaving many convinced that he played a hand in his death.

       The country’s top criminal investigation agency, the Investigative Committee, didn’t say what might have caused Prigozhin’s business jet to plummet from the sky on Aug. 23, minutes after taking off from Moscow for St. Petersburg.

       A preliminary US intelligence assessment concluded that an intentional explosion caused the plane to crash, and Western officials have pointed to a long list of Putin’s foes who have been assassinated.

       The Kremlin rejected Western allegations the president was behind the crash as an “absolute lie".

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