
Russian state-run news agencies reported on Wednesday that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner group involved in a mutiny against Russia's army in June, was among the passengers on a crashed plane. TASS news agency, along with RIA Novosti and Interfax, all carried similar reports confirming Prigozhin's presence on the ill-fated flight.
Also read: Who was Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary boss who dared to take on Vladimir Putin?
"The plane that crashed in the Tver Region listed Yevgeny Prigozhin among its passengers, (Russia's aviation agency) Rosaviatsia said," TASS news agency reported.
"There were 10 people on board, including 3 crew members. According to preliminary information, all those on board died," Russia's ministry for emergency situation had said shortly before.
The incident took place around 1700 GMT when a "private Embraer Legacy aircraft traveling from Moscow to Saint Petersburg crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver Region." Search operations were promptly initiated by the ministry.
Telegram channels linked to Wagner posted videos, allegedly showing the wreckage of the plane engulfed in flames in a field.
In June, Prigozhin led a brief rebellion against Russia's regular army, mobilizing thousands of mercenaries who armed themselves and marched from southern Russia toward Moscow with the intention of toppling the country's military leadership.
Also read: Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin killed in private plane crash near Moscow
The mutiny eventually concluded through negotiations, mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. The agreement stipulated that Prigozhin and some of his followers would relocate to neighboring Belarus. He had since resisted relinquishing control of Wagner but had generally kept a low public profile.
Recently, a video emerged showing Prigozhin apparently in Africa, where he expressed his determination to promote greater freedom in the region.
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