Prigozhin Dies Two Months After Armed Rebellion... "Plane Crash" (Comprehensive)

(From the left) Prigozhin's private plane crashing, the crash site of the private plane. / Photo by Telegram channel Grayzone video capture [Image source=Yonhap News]

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary company Wagner Group, died in a plane crash two months after leading an armed rebellion in Russia.

According to major foreign media on the 23rd (local time), Russian disaster authorities announced via Telegram that "an Embraer Legacy jet heading from Moscow to Saint Petersburg crashed near Kuzhenkino in the Tver region," adding, "Initial investigations estimate that all 10 people on board, including 3 crew members, have died."

Kuzhenkino is located about 300 km from Moscow in the direction of Saint Petersburg.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to a major foreign media outlet, Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, among others, held a meeting with the Ministry of Defense in Moscow prior to the accident.

Russian aviation authorities confirmed in the initial investigation that "Prigozhin's name was included on the passenger list." However, it was not immediately clear whether Prigozhin was actually on the plane. Eight bodies were found at the crash site, but Prigozhin's status was not immediately confirmed.

Later, aviation authorities confirmed that "Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin were on board the plane," confirming Prigozhin's death.

Dmitry Utkin, who died alongside him, was known as one of Prigozhin's closest aides and co-founder of the Wagner Group.

AP News reported, based on flight tracking data, that the plane registered to the Wagner Group lost its flight signal minutes after taking off from Moscow that evening. They also noted that the numbers and markings captured in photos of the crashed plane matched those of the Wagner Group's private aircraft taken previously.

Some local media also reported that the Wagner private plane was intercepted by air defense systems less than 30 minutes after takeoff.

On social media that day, a video was posted showing an object presumed to be the plane with clipped wings falling vertically toward the ground.

In June, Prigozhin led an armed rebellion demanding punishment of the Russian military leadership. His Wagner Group advanced to within 200 km of Moscow less than a day after the rebellion began. However, Prigozhin agreed to halt the rebellion through negotiations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.