According to the Russian civil aviation regulator Rosaviatsia, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Wagner mercenary squad, which attempted to overthrow Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in a plane crash. According to the report, Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on the aircraft by the Russian Civil Aviation Authority.
In June, the legendary warlord attempted to overthrow President Vladimir Putin, but failed.
According to reports, the plane was traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg when it crashed. Three crew members were among the 10 passengers who perished in the disaster, according to the emergency ministry of Russia, reported the official state newswire RIA Novosti. Without providing any other information, Russian officials stated one of the passengers had the name Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The jet allegedly belongs to Prigozhin, the creator of the Wagner private military firm, according to unconfirmed media reports. Prigozhin was on the passenger list, according to Rosaviatsia, the Russian regulator of civil aviation, although it was unclear at the time of reporting if he had really boarded the aircraft.
“An investigation has been launched into the Embraer plane crash that occurred tonight in the Tver region. According to the passenger list, among them is the name and surname of Yevgeny Prigozhin,” Rosaviatsia said.
The jet was shot down by air defenses in the Tver region, north of Moscow, earlier, according to a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel called Grey Zone, the BBC said.
Alongside Russia’s conventional army in Ukraine, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s private military group, Wagner, also participated in combat. The Kremlin declared that following the brief coup, he would be exiled to Belarus and that his fighters would either retire, follow him there, or enlist in the Russian military.
