Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Who Rebelled Against Putin, on Passengers’ List of Russia Plane Crash – News18

Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who rebelled against President Vladimir Putin in June this year, was on the list of passengers of a plane that crashed in Russia on Wednesday. Prigozhin is feared to be dead, according to Russian agencies.

“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.

Around 1700 GMT the ministry announced that a “private Embraer Legacy aircraft travelling from Moscow to Saint Petersburg crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver Region.”

It said it was conducting search operations.

Videos on Telegram channels linked to Wagner posted footage — that AFP could not independently confirm — showing the wreckage of plane burning in a field.

Prigozhin commands thousands of mercenaries who played a key role in the Ukraine invasion.

In May, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin furiously accused Russian military leaders of failing to provide his forces with ammunition. Then, on the night between June 23 and 24, after Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin called for the toppling of Russia’s military command. Less than 24 hours later, Prigozhin had turned his forces back.

The mutiny ended with a deal, mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, under which Prigozhin was expected to move to neighbouring Belarus with some of his men. He since then refused to cede command of Wagner, but mostly stayed out of the public eye.

(With inputs from AFP)