Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, an ally-turned-traitor of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is presumed dead after a private jet carrying him and nine others crashed while traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg on Wednesday evening.
Russia’s aviation authorities have launched an investigation into the crash of the Embraer Legacy 600, which fell precipitously from the sky and burst into flames in the Tver Region near the settlement of Kuzhenkino shortly after 6 p.m. local time. All passengers on board are believed to have died.
The Kremlin has yet to comment on the crash, which is believed to have also killed Wagner co-founder Dmitry Utkin. However, Wagner backers and Western allies were quick to draw a link to Moscow, with U.S. President Joe Biden saying he believed Putin was behind the incident.
Prigozhin led his paramilitary forces in a short-lived mutiny against the Russian government on June 23 following months spent vocally criticizing the country’s top brass.
The abortive insurrection had led to an apparent deal between Prigozhin and Putin, which was meant to see the Wagner leader and his forces relocate to Belarus, while Prigozhin himself pledged to leave Russia for good.
Meantime, Putin on Thursday hailed the expanded influence of the BRICS coalition following the invitation of six new members to join the emerging market bloc.
Putin offers condolences following plane crash believed to have killed Prigozhin
FILE – Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, shows Russian President Vladimir Putin, around his factory which produces school meals, outside St. Petersburg, Russia on Monday, Sept. 20, 2010.
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued condolences following the plane crash that is believed to have killed Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Prigozhin, who was once Putin’s personal chef and confidant, was in exile following an attempt two months ago to attack the Russian capital over frustrations with the Kremlin’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
“With regard to this plane crash, first of all, I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of all the victims. It’s always a tragedy,” Putin said in a speech.
The Russian leader said preliminary evidence indicates that those on the flight were employees of the Wagner company.
“I’ve known Prigozhin for a long time, since the early ’90′s,” Putin said. “He was a talented man, a talented businessman. He worked not only in our country — and with result — but also abroad,” he added, referencing Prigozhin’s contracts in Africa.
Putin added that there was an investigation already underway into the explosion that brought down the private jet.
Source : CNBC
