World
Ten killed in private jet crash north of Moscow – Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘on passenger list’
Ten people have been killed in a private jet crash north of Moscow – with the Russian Civil Aviation Authority saying Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list.
Eight bodies have so far been found at the site of the plane crash by the Russian emergency services, according to the RIA state news agency.
Seven passengers and three crew were on board the Embraer aircraft, TASS news agency reported, which was en route from Moscow to St Petersburg.
The jet crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino Tver region, 60 miles north of Moscow, according to Russia’s emergency situations ministry.
Multiple videos circulating on social media appear to show the jet crashing.
“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.
Unconfirmed media reports suggest the business jet belonged to Prigozhin, but it was not immediately clear if he had boarded the flight.
Prigozhin led a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s top military brass in June, and was described at the time by Vladimir Putin as a “traitor”.
The rebellion ended when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stepped in to broker a deal – which saw Prigozhin agreeing to relocate to neighbouring Belarus.
The Kremlin said his fighters would either retire, follow him there, or join the Russian military.
Prigozhin was last seen in a video on Monday that appeared to have been shot in Africa, where he spoke about making the continent “free”.
The 62-year-old Wagner Group boss released footage of himself speaking while wearing camouflage and holding a rifle.
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Wagner Group ‘in Africa’
Prigozhin also described how Wagner was tackling terrorist groups in the region and added that the group wanted to increase its presence in Africa.
He later shared details about Wagner’s recruitment in the video, which was accompanied by a telephone number for those who wanted to join.
Once a close confidant of Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin had often lambasted the likes of defence minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov in public addresses over their handling of the Ukraine invasion.
Why didn’t Prigozhin see this coming?
Commenting on the jet crash, military analyst Sean Bell told Sky News: “After that abortive coup, I don’t think any of us expected Prigozhin’s life expectancy to be more than I think we predicted three months. It looks like it’s two months.
Bell said that following the unsuccessful Wagner Group mutiny, led by Prigozhin, many would have expected Vladimir Putin to “act very swiftly and decisively”.
“Probably, because of the influence Prigozhin had, not only as an oligarch but as the leader of the Wagner Group, Putin would not want to make a martyr of him.
“Therefore there was a bit of tap dancing around what to do.”
Mr Bell added: “The only question in my mind is why he didn’t see this coming. He seemed to be still remaining in circulation.
“He turned up at the Russian Africa conference only a few weeks back and seemed to be on the same stage as President Putin. And yet what it appears now very clearly that his card was marked, his days were numbered. And it’s no great surprise he’s met an untimely end.”
Putin ‘at concert’ at time of crash
While reports are circulating that the boss of the Wagner Group has apparently been killed in the jet crash, the Russian president is at a concert.
The event is said to be dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Soviet troops’ victory in the Battle of Kursk.