Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has reportedly been killed in a plane crash in Russia
Russian authorities have disclosed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, along with nine others, was listed as a passenger on the flight involved in a crash between Moscow and St Petersburg. However, it remains uncertain whether Prigozhin was on board during the crash.
The tragic incident took place when a business jet, en route from Moscow to St Petersburg, crashed, resulting in the loss of all ten individuals on board, as reported by Russian emergency officials.
While unverified media accounts suggest that the aircraft belonged to Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military company, Russia's civilian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, has corroborated Prigozhin's presence on the passenger roster. Nonetheless, it remains unclear if he had embarked on the flight.
Sources from Russia's state news agency Tass have reported that the aircraft was manned by three pilots and accommodated seven passengers. The crash site, situated over 100 kilometers north of Moscow in the Tver region, is currently under investigation by authorities.
Prigozhin, notable for his private military group Wagner, which supported Russia's conventional army in Ukraine, recently initiated a brief armed revolt against Russia's military leadership at the end of June. Subsequently, the Kremlin declared his exile to Belarus, presenting his fighters with the choice of retirement, accompanying him to Belarus, or joining the Russian military.