Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Wagner mercenary group, is being presumed dead, after a private jet crashed in Russia‘s Tver region. The Wagner boss was on board along with nine others including his close confidant Dmitry Utkin. The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency has confirmed that there were no survivors in the plane crash and an investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the crash.
The news comes months after the 62-year-old spearheaded what’s known as ‘Moscow mutiny’. The June events were the most serious threat to Russia President Vladimir Putin’s leadership and could have plunged the country into a full-blown civil war. In one the early reactions to the sensational development in Russia, US President Joe Biden has said that Putin may have been responsible for the crash.
In St Petersburg, people were seen paying tributes to Wagner boss with flowers and candles. St Petersburg is home to the Wagner Group’s headquarters. A large banner was reported outside mercenary group’s headquarters that had ‘we are together’ message. Many were also seen with Wagner PMC chevron patches. After the June mutiny fizzled out, Wagner chief along with his men were told to relocate to neighbouring Belarus. He had been maintaining a low profile ever since the secret deal.
Where was Vladimir Putin when the plane crash took place?
Local reports say that Putin was Kursk. He was attending a ceremony marking of 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk. After presenting awards, Putin also gave a speech, in which he hailed the frontline soldiers and devotion to ‘Motherland.’
What exactly happened?
The private Embraer jet carrying Wagner chief along with nine others was flying from Russian capital Moscow to St Petersburg. According to the eyewitness accounts, the plane turned into a ‘ball of fire’ as it hit the ground with loud crash near Kuzhenkino village in Tver. There were no survivors, the officials have confirmed.