Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the paramilitary organization known as the Wagner Group, tragically passed away in a plane crash near Tver, north of Moscow.
The crash was reported by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti. The aircraft, an Embraer Legacy, was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
According to preliminary information from Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, the crash resulted in ten fatalities, as the news agency Interfax stated.
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) confirmed Prigozhin’s presence on the passenger list and has initiated an investigation into the crash.
Reports from Telegram channels associated with the Wagner Group suggest that Dmitry Utkin, the organization’s former top commander, might also have been a victim in the accident.
Prigozhin, a founder of the Wagner Group, was once a close ally of Putin but had a falling-out after an unsuccessful mutiny attempt.
The Wagner Group, including Prigozhin, once aimed to challenge Russian military leadership and Kremlin’s wartime strategies, particularly after they faced significant losses in the Ukrainian conflict.
After the failed mutiny, negotiations with the Russian government led to the relocation of the Wagner Group’s headquarters to Belarus, Russia’s main ally in the conflict.
Prigozhin’s most recent public appearance was a day before the crash.
He shared a video on his Telegram channel, supposedly filmed in Africa, expressing his vision for a more “liberated” continent.
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