Private jet crash in Russia kills 10, Prigozhin listed as passenger
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The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, declares that an investigation has been launched on the private plane crash.
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Wagner PMC chief Yevgeny Prigozhin speaking in Bakhmut in footage released on May 25, 2023 (AFP)
Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed that a private plane on its way from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed in the Tver Region on Wednesday, announcing that the incident killed all 10 people aboard.
Wagner Group private military company (PMC) leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed among those passengers on board.
BREAKING ⚡️Wagner Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who launched an attempted coup against Putin in June, along with atleast 10 others, have been killed in a plane crash in Russia's Tver region pic.twitter.com/41Dkq2OzwB
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) August 23, 2023
In its statement, the Ministry said, "According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, a private Embraer Legacy plane crashed en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg in the Tver region, near the Kuzhenkino village. There were 10 people on board, including 3 crew members. According to preliminary information, everyone on board were killed."
Ria Novosti and Interfax issued similar reports regarding the crash, with the former saying Prigozhin was one of those killed in the crash.
BREAKING NEWS - WAGNER BOSS YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN DEAD IN A PLANE CRASH IN NORTH WEST OF MOSCOW, RUSSIA pic.twitter.com/7yw6n18d73
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 23, 2023
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, declared that an investigation has been launched on the private plane crash.
Emergency Services later revealed that eight bodies were found at the crash site of the Embraer plane in Russia's Tver region, as quoted by Sputnik.
In the meantime, Flightradar said a second plane belonging to Prigozhin changed course and headed back to Moscow, with local Russian media reporting that Prigozhin's second plane landed in Moscow, but the identities of passengers on board remain undisclosed.
Also killed in the accident was Dmitry Utkin, who co-founded the Russian military group and oversaw its operations outside Russia.
Later, the Investigative Committee said investigators are on their way to the private plane crash site in Russia’s Tver Region to determine what caused the accident, adding that a criminal case has been initiated.
"On the fact of an aviation accident in the Tver region, the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violation of traffic safety rules and operation of air transport)," the Committee said in a statement, adding that a group of investigators are on their way to the crash site to determine what caused the accident.
⚡️ Командир ЧВК «Вагнер» Дмитрий Уткин мог быть на борту разбившегося под Тверью самолёта вместе с Евгением Пригожиным, утверждает связанный с силовиками телеграм-канал «ВЧК-ОГПУ». То, что среди пассажиров был Евгений Пригожин, уже подтвердила Росавиация. По данным МЧС, частный… pic.twitter.com/AGJARiQZKc
— ЭХО (@echofm_online) August 23, 2023
Read next: Wagner's Prigozhin tells Al Mayadeen Ukraine counteroffensive underway
Following the crash report, National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne said the White House is aware of reports about a plane crash in Russia with Wagner Group private military company (PMC) leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said to be among passengers.
“We have seen the reports. If confirmed, no one should be surprised,” Watson said in a tweet commenting on a CNN report about the crash.
On its part, the White House said US President Joe Biden has been briefed on a crash of a plane said to be carrying Wagner Group private military company (PMC) leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in Russia’s Tver region.
“The President has been briefed on the reported plane crash in Russia,” the White House said in a press release.
Just yesterday, Prigozhin announced his return to Africa to fight terrorism in a video clip.
"We work in temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius", he said, adding, "The Wagner Group makes Russia great on all continents, makes Africa freer, and establishes justice."
On the evening of June 23, the Wagner Group took control of an army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city in southern Russia and marched toward Moscow the next day. Prigozhin claimed that his activities were in retaliation for the Defense Ministry's purported assault on his group's field camps, but the ministry denied this.
After speaking with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who was acting at the behest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin decided to put an end to the mutiny.
