Title: Wagner Boss Yevgeny Prigozhin Confirmed Dead in Mysterious Russian Plane Crash
Date: [Insert Date]
Source: CNN
Russian investigators have officially confirmed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the private military company Wagner, was among the 10 individuals who tragically lost their lives in a plane crash on Wednesday. Genetic tests were conducted to establish the identities of the deceased.
Previously, Prigozhin had been named as one of the passengers on board the ill-fated private plane, which crashed in a field northwest of Moscow while en route to St. Petersburg. However, authorities had not confirmed his death until now.
According to a statement from Russia’s Investigative Committee published on their Telegram channel, “As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular genetic examinations have been completed.” The statement further confirmed that the identities of all 10 individuals were established and matched with the flight manifest.
Among the other victims of the crash were Dmitriy Utkin, a trusted lieutenant of Prigozhin’s since the inception of the Wagner Group, and Valeriy Chekalov, a senior aide to Prigozhin. Additionally, three crew members perished in the accident.
Prigozhin’s death has raised suspicions due to his shadowy lifestyle and the employment of extensive security precautions. At a makeshift memorial for him in St. Petersburg, CNN encountered a couple who believed his death was orchestrated to enable Prigozhin to be deployed on other clandestine missions benefiting Russia.
The plane crash occurred exactly two months after Prigozhin’s failed mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. His role as the leader of the Wagner group catapulted him to prominence, as the company achieved notable success during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, Prigozhin subsequently became a vocal critic of the Russian campaign and its leadership.
In June, Prigozhin and his Wagner troops seized key military sites and advanced towards Moscow, where heavily armed troops were deployed by the Kremlin. The rebellion was ultimately quashed by a negotiated settlement that sent Prigozhin and his fighters to neighboring Belarus.
The crash’s cause remains unknown, and no evidence has yet been presented implicating the Kremlin or Russian security services. Russian authorities have initiated a criminal investigation into the incident. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed claims of the Kremlin’s involvement as “absolute lies.”
In his first remarks regarding the crash, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Prigozhin as “talented” but acknowledged that he had made “serious mistakes in life.” The two individuals have known each other since the early 1990s when they both rose in influence after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Notably, Russia seems to be taking efforts to rein in groups like Wagner. Putin recently signed a decree mandating that paramilitary fighters swear an oath to the state, indicating a shift in the government’s approach to such organizations.
Although US and Western intelligence officials have suggested the possibility of foul play, it is important to note that no concrete evidence has been presented to support these claims. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the crash and any potential underlying factors.