According to Russia’s civil aviation authorities, the head of Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list of the plane that crashed, killing everyone on board.read full article
The 62-year-old’s private plane was reportedly shot down by air defences, according to the Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel Grey Zone.
Later on Wednesday, Grey Zone wrote that Prigozhin passed away “as a result of traitors to Russia’s actions.
In June, Prigozhin was the leader of a failed uprising against the Russian military.
Sergei Surovikin, a senior Russian general, is said to have been fired from his position as head of the air force the same day as the crash.
Since the mutiny, Gen. Surovikin, who was known to get along well with Prigozhin, had vanished from the public eye.
With seven passengers and three crew members, the aircraft was making its way from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Approximately halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg, it is claimed to have fallen close to the settlement of Kuzhenkino in the Tver area.
Locals reportedly witnessed two vapour trails and heard two fringe prior to the crash, according to Grey Zone.
The Prigozhin-owned Embraer Legacy, according to Tass news agency, caught fire as soon as it touched down.
It further stated that the aircraft had been in the air for less than 30 minutes.
Emergency personnel are searching the scene as part of an investigation into the collision.
Eight bodies have been found, according to Ria, a different news source.
According to Grey Zone, Prigozhin’s second private plane touched down in the Moscow area without incident.
The gang has a history of violence and has been active in Ukraine, Syria, and west Africa.
On June 23 and 24, Prigozhin led the mutiny by pulling his forces out of Ukraine, taking control of Rostov on Don in southern Russia, and threatening to march on Moscow.
Following months of conflict over the crisis in Ukraine, the action was taken.
A compromise that allowed Wagner troops to transfer to Belarus or enlist in the Russian army ended the standoff.
Although Prigozhin himself consented to transfer to Belarus, he has appeared in public in Russia and released a film that appeared to show him in Africa. This suggests that he has been allowed to roam around without restriction.
However, since the insurrection, he has been labelled a “dead man walking” by numerous observers of Russia.
In a video message on June 24, President Putin reacted angrily to his challenge to Russia’s defence establishment, calling it a betrayal and a knife in the back.
The agreement did not assure his safety.
William Burns, the director of the CIA, said, “Revenge is a dish Putin prefers served cold.”
Of course, none of this establishes that Prigozhin and his group were intended targets.
But considering the circumstances, many people will raise an eyebrow if any claims that his death was an accident are substantiated.
Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States, stated that he was “not surprised” to hear that Prigozhin might have passed away.
