Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, died in a plane crash

Chairman of the Wagner Group, Evgeny Prigogine, died in a plane crash on Wednesday. A private plane with a mercenary boss and a former partner Vladimir Putin All 10 people on board were killed in a crash in Moscow’s Tver region, Russian emergency services said on Wednesday. Reported by BBC And AFPInitially and Russian media.

“A private Embraer Legacy plane en route from Moscow to St Petersburg crashed near the village of Kusenkino in the Tver region. There were 10 people on board, including 3 crew members. According to preliminary information, all those on the boat have died.“, said the Ministry of Emergencies telegram.

Russian emergency services have so far recovered eight bodies from the scene.

Russian mercenary leader Prigozhin was a passenger in the private plane that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday, the TASS news agency reported, citing Russia’s aviation authority Rosaviatsia. “An investigation into the Embraer plane crash that occurred last night in the Tver region has been launched. According to the list of passengers, among them is the name and surname of Yevgeny Prigozhin.“, said Rosaviatsia.

“The Federal Air Transport Agency commission is starting preliminary operations at the scene of the accident and has started collecting factual material on the training of the crew, the technical condition of the aircraft, the weather conditions on the flight path, operations. Ground services and dispatch of radio equipment,” added the statement of the Russian State Aviation Authority. Said.

Prigogine This Tuesday, he reappeared in a video when he was spotted Africa There he asked to recruit mercenaries to face various tasks on the continent. The employer Wagner groupA private military company in service The Kremlinfaced Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu Because of how the invasion developed Ukraine, of which he was a part. Since then, his whereabouts have been a source of constant speculation.

previously, Toss 10 killed in private plane crash in Russian territory Tverto the north Moscow. There were seven passengers and three crew on board the jet from Moscow to St Petersburg.

According to different reports, the plane carrying the mercenary leader may have been shot down by the Russian Air Force. A channel telegram Associated with Wagner, The gray zoneIt has been reported that the plane was shot down by the air defense forces in the area Tverto the north Moscow.

Other reports indicate that the device was hit by a bomb attack or shot down by an enemy attack drone.

In a video published by a digital newspaper gazeta.ru The plane can be seen crashing into the ground not far from some rural houses, followed by a huge explosion.

Prigogine He took part in the military uprising that reached the gates Moscow, which started on June 22 and ended the next day. so, Putin called it”TraitorHe also said that action will be taken against him. Chairman of WagnerAlso known as “Kremlin chef”, reached a cease-fire agreement and went into seclusion Belarus With thousands of his paid soldiers.

From his own account Prigogine They also saidAccording to media reports, Dmitry Utkin, one of the founders of PMC “Wagner”, was also on board the crashed plane.“Even if they clarify”No official confirmation”.

In the absence of information about the crash of the plane carrying the head of the Wagner Group, a telegram channel of the mercenary organization claimed that Russia was behind the incident. “Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, a hero of Russia, a true patriot of his motherland, died as a result of the actions of traitors to Russia. But even in hell it will be better! Glory to Russia!”, reported a message on the Telegram channel Gray Zone from the Russian mercenary group, citing information from journalist Alexey Larkin.

At the time of the crash, President Putin was participating in an official ceremony at the Kursk border region to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk, one of the most significant battles of World War II between Soviet and Nazi forces.

For its part, the White House said: US President Joe Biden has already been informed about the plane crash in Russia. White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said “no one should be surprised” if the reports that Prigozhin was on board the plane were confirmed: “We’ve seen the reports. If they’re confirmed, no one should be surprised. The devastating war in Ukraine saw a private army march in Moscow, and now – It seems – it is.

Correct prediction?

Nine days ago, an expert on the Kremlin’s inner machinations predicted what the fate would be. Prigogine. Christo Krusev He built a reputation in the complex world of Russian investigative journalism. In a country where the boundaries of politics and reality seem to be always in motion, Groschev Has demonstrated an unrivaled ability to unravel its deepest mysteries and is the leader of the mercenary force Wagner group sentenced to be assassinated or to lead a new rebellion against Moscow.

In an interview with Financial Times, Groschev He reviews what it means to do journalism Russia, but about the rise of the wage capitalist. whatWhy wasn’t Putin tougher against Prigogine?, is a question asked on August 14. “Putin went on television and called Prigozhin a traitor. Everyone knows what to do with ‘traitors’ and Putin doesn’t do it. He wants to see her dead. You still can’t. In six months Prigozhin will be dead or there will be a second blow”, Grosev said at the time.

Along these lines, senior Biden administration officials have also publicly warned that Wagner’s boss could be assassinated by the Kremlin after leading an armed rebellion. “If I were him, I would be careful about what I eat. I would look at my menu,” Biden declared in July.

Bill BurnsThe CIA director noted that Putin has a long history of revenge: “In my experience, Putin is the ultimate apostle of vengeance. So I would be surprised if Prigogine is spared further retaliation for this. In that sense, the President is right. If I were Prigogine, I wouldn’t fire my food taster.”

“If I were Prigogine, I would be more concerned. NATO has an open-door policy; Russia has an open-window policy,” the secretary of state said. Anthony Blinken In the month of July.

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