Russian war mercenary Prigozhin reportedly dies in Moscow plane crash

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian state-funded private military company Wagner Group, was reportedly on the passenger list of a plane that crashed North of Moscow on Wednesday, August 23, 2023.

According to Russia's civil aviation authority, all the passengers on board the crashed jet died.

The Russian aviation authority also confirmed that Prigozhin was among the seven passengers aboard an Embraer business jet that went down in the Tver region.

RIA Novosti quoted the Federal Air Transport Agency as saying, "An investigation has been launched into the Embraer crash," adding, "Among the passengers is the name and surname of Evgeny Prigozhin.”

Earlier, Wagner-linked Telegram channel Grey Zone reported air defences shot down the Embraer aircraft in the Tver region, north of Moscow.

Grey Zone claimed that local residents heard two bangs before the crash and saw two vapour trails.

Per Tass news agency, Prigozhin's plane caught fire on hitting the ground, adding that four bodies had already been found.

Prigozhin's Wagner Group led an aborted mutiny against the Russian Army under the command of President Vladimir Putin back in June.

The 62-year-old Russian oligarch, mercenary leader, and former close confidant of Putin headed the 24-hour-long mutiny, moving troops from Ukraine to seize the southern Russian city of Rostov and threatening to march on Moscow.

The development came after months of tension between Wagner and Russian military commanders over the Ukraine conflict.

However, an agreement was struck which allowed the mutinous troops to move to Belarus or join the Russian army, and they opted for the former.