BREAKING: Wagner mercenary boss listed as passenger aboard fatal plane crash
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Russian private military company Wagner Group, is believed to have been aboard a plane that crashed northwest of Moscow today.
All 10 people aboard the aircraft, which listed Prigozhin among its passengers, are dead according to Russian state media outlet TASS.
Footage of the crash began circulating online, with early reports suggesting the business class jet may have been shot down by Russian air defences.
BREAKING: Private jet carrying Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has crashed with 10 people on board.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 23, 2023
No survivors.
Prigozhin was a media favorite back in June when he led led a failed rebellion against Putin.
“Wagner-linked Telegram channel Grey Zone reported the… pic.twitter.com/YuFcUlXGek
Moscow has been the site of a recent series of drone attacks, with Ukraine's armed forces confirming it was behind at least one attack in Russia's Kaluga region.
The Moscow Times reports how “Russians have faced increasing disruptions to their summer travel plans as near-daily drone attacks on Moscow have prompted airports in the surrounding area to introduce temporary closures and flight restrictions.”
Prigozhin led a recent uprising against Russia's military leaders following a buildup of tension following between the private military company and the Russian Ministry of Defence.
Another Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow City this morning pic.twitter.com/fWIAhJPahm
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 23, 2023
During the short-lived rebellion, Prigozhin levied criticism at Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov but avoided directly making allegations against President Vladimir Putin. The mutiny saw rebelling Wagner forces seize Rostov-on-Don, a major city south of Moscow before backing down.
The mercenary chief was charged with treason during the rebellion, though the charges were dropped in exchange for Prigozhin being exiled to Belarus.
Yesterday, Prigozhin was seen on video for the first time since the rebellion. In the video, the mercenary leader is in combat gear and declares the group is making Africa “more free,” the BBC reported.
"An investigation of the Embraer plane crash that happened in the Tver Region this evening was initiated. According to the passenger list, first and last name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was included in this list," Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport said, TASS reported.
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