Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is believed to have died in a plane crash that claimed the lives of all passengers on board, according to reports. Russia’s civil aviation authority has stated that Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list of the crashed jet that resulted in the loss of all lives on board. The Grey Zone Telegram channel, linked to Wagner, reported that the Embraer aircraft was shot down by air defences in the Tver region, north of Moscow.
The private jet, en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg, carried seven passengers and three crew members. Witnesses heard two bangs and saw two vapour trails before the crash, according to Grey Zone.
The plane, identified as an Embraer Legacy belonging to Prigozhin, caught fire upon impact with the ground. The aircraft had been in the air for under 30 minutes.
An investigation is underway, and emergency services are conducting search operations. Another news agency, Ria, reported the recovery of eight bodies. Grey Zone also mentioned that a second business jet owned by Prigozhin landed safely in the Moscow region.
On 23-24 June, the 62-year-old mercenary boss orchestrated a mutiny, relocating his troops from Ukraine, capturing Rostov on Don in southern Russia, and threatening to advance towards Moscow. This action followed prolonged tensions with Russian military commanders regarding the Ukraine conflict. The standoff was resolved through an agreement that allowed Wagner troops to either move to Belarus or join the Russian army.
Although Prigozhin agreed to relocate to Belarus, he has seemingly enjoyed freedom of movement within Russia, appearing in public and releasing a video purportedly filmed in Africa. However, several analysts monitoring Russia have considered him a marked man ever since the mutiny.
President Putin initially responded vehemently to his challenge against Russia’s defence establishment, denouncing it as a betrayal and a stab in the back in a video message on 24 June.