Yevgeny Prigozhin, the paramilitary leader of the Wagner group who defied Putin, confirmed dead in a plane crash, had emerged as a central figure in Russia due to his role in the Ukraine conflict.
However, his defiance against the Kremlin in late June labeled him a "traitor" by Vladimir Putin.
Russian officials and genetic specialists validated Prigozhin's demise following a plane crash on August 23 in the Tver region, northwest of Moscow, which claimed the. . .