DEVELOPING STORY: Russian Mercenary Group Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin Onboard Plane That Crashed in Moscow
Russia’s civil aviation authority has confirmed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, was among the passengers on board a plane that crashed north of Moscow. The crash resulted in the death of all ten people on board, including three crew members. According to Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Situations, the Embraer aircraft was traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg when it crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver Region.
The aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, published the names of the seven passengers, which included Prigozhin and Wagner group commander Dmitry Utkin. The ministry initially reported that all passengers had died. However, experts are still being cautious about confirming Prigozhin’s presence on the plane.
There are unconfirmed reports suggesting that the aircraft might have been taken down by air defense systems. Some journalists claim to be in contact with Prigozhin’s press secretary, who has not yet confirmed his presence on the flight. Another jet that was flying alongside the crashed plane has turned around and returned to St. Petersburg.
Prigozhin recently led a short-lived armed rebellion against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s leadership. His actions posed a significant challenge to Putin’s two-decade-long grip on power. Prigozhin’s rebellion involved occupying the city of Rostov-on-Don and sending military columns towards Moscow, while accusing the Russian military leadership of corruption and incompetence. However, negotiations with the Kremlin, facilitated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, led to a retreat and a deal that offered Prigozhin and his Wagner fighters sanctuary in Belarus.
The potential death of Prigozhin does not come as a surprise, considering his strained relationship with Putin. A senior White House official remarked that the crash is not unexpected, as it is linked to the disastrous war in Ukraine and the private army that marched toward Moscow.
While experts remain cautious about confirming Prigozhin’s presence on the crashed plane, they agree that his fate was inevitable due to his actions against Putin. Colin Clarke from the Soufan Group emphasized that Prigozhin had been a marked man since his rebellion in June.
Further investigation is still required to confirm the details surrounding the crash. However, if the reports are true, it would mark a significant development in the ongoing saga between Prigozhin and Putin.