Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Russian mercenary group Wagner, who previously staged a rebellion against Russia’s military leadership, was among the passengers on a plane that crashed northwest of Moscow. According to the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, the crash of the Embraer aircraft is currently under investigation. Preliminary reports suggest that all passengers and crew members onboard were killed in the crash. The bodies of eight people have been found at the crash site, and Russian investigators have initiated a criminal case to determine the cause of the crash.
Prigozhin’s involvement in the crash comes after his unsuccessful rebellion against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority earlier this year. The rebellion was eventually called off in a deal that required Prigozhin and his fighters to relocate to Belarus. Wagner forces, led by Prigozhin, played a significant role in capturing cities in eastern Ukraine during Russia’s invasion last year.
As news of the crash spread, US President Joe Biden suggested that Putin may have been behind it, citing previous warnings about potential retaliation against Prigozhin. Meanwhile, Putin was attending an event in a different region when the plane crashed.
Video footage released by Russian state media allegedly shows the moment the plane fell from the sky, with engine debris found at the crash site. Flight data indicates that the plane reached an altitude of 28,000 feet before losing signal.
The crashed plane, a Prigozhin-linked Embraer Legacy 600, was reportedly used by him for travel between various locations in Russia and Belarus. Top officials in the Biden administration have previously warned about potential harm to Prigozhin, given his involvement in the rebellion.
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s transformation from wealthy oligarch to warlord began after the Russian-backed separatist movement in eastern Ukraine in 2014. He founded Wagner as a mercenary group that fought on behalf of Russian interests. Despite initially denying his connection to Wagner, Prigozhin gained notoriety for his involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, his recent rebellion against Putin led to his falling out of favor with Russian authorities.
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