The facts you highlighted about how Russian media reported it and how his death coincided with the departure of a top general (not to mention the other key Wagner leaders on the plane), paint a pretty clear picture of Putin orchestrating it all.

What will be most interesting for me is how the empire Prigozhin built across Africa through Wagner survives under new leadership and inevitable morale loss amongst men who lost a leader they by all accounts respected. Many Africans respected him too.

Putin will try to replace Prigozhin but I’m skeptical whether he’ll succeed. This assassination is a major sign of weakness.