Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozh dies in a plane crash
Russian state-run news agencies on Wednesday said that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group that led a mutiny against Russia’s army in June, was on the list of passengers of a plane that crashed.
“The plane that crashed in the Tver Region listed Yevgeny Prigozhin among its passengers, (Russia’s aviation agency) Rosaviatsia said,” TASS news agency reported, with RIA Novosti and Interfax issuing similar reports.
“There were 10 people on board, including 3 crew members. According to preliminary information, all those on board died,” Russia’s ministry for emergency situation had said shortly before.
Earlier, TASS had reported that ten people had died after a private jet crashed in Russia’s Tver region north of Moscow. The jet, en route from Moscow to St Petersburg, was carrying seven passengers and three crew.
Yevgeny Prigozhin was the founder of the mercenary force Wagner Group. He soared in prominence after Russia launched a full-scale military attack on Ukraine, where his fighters led the Russian assault on the city of Bakhmut in the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.
However, in June, Prigozhin led a mutiny in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and shot down a number of military helicopters, killing their pilots, as they advanced toward Moscow. Prigozhin, however, called off the march to Moscow to what he said avert the bloodshed.
Putin called it an act of treachery and Russia filed criminal charges against the Wagner boss for mutiny. The Kremlin later said that Prigozhin and some of his men would leave for Belarus and a criminal case against him for armed mutiny would be dropped.
Prigozhin on Monday posted his first video address since the June mutiny in a social media clip which he suggested was shot in Africa. In the video posted on Telegram, the Wgner boss spoke of making Russia greater on all continents and Africa more free.
“The temperature is +50 – everything as we like. The Wagner PMC (private military company) makes Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa – more free,” he said. “Justice and happiness – for the African people, we’re making life a nightmare for ISIS and al Qaeda and other bandits.” The Wagner boss further said that his mercenary group was recruiting people.
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