Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had revolted against Russian President Vladimir Putin in June, was killed in a plane crash in Russia, BBC reported on Wednesday. Nine other people on board also died, the report said. Prigozhin had revolted against Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu and had started a march to Moscow but changed his mind after speaking to Putin.
Prigozhin was on a private jet that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday. “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,” Russia’s aviation authority Rosaviatsia said as per news agency TASS.
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 evert 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.
(With inputs from Reuters)
