Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin dies in plane crash in Russia

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, has died following a plane crash during a journey from Moscow to St. Petersburg, according to Russian news media.

The plane carried ten individuals, including three crew members and seven passengers. According to the Russian emergency ministry, all ten members on board were killed, as state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Videos on Telegram channels associated with the Wagner group have shared footage depicting the burning wreckage of a plane in a field. The authenticity of this footage needs to be verified, as it remains uncertain.

According to Russia’s civilian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, Prigozhin’s name was listed among the passengers. However, his actual presence on the flight must be immediately confirmed.

In June, Prigozhin led a short-lived rebellion against Russia’s regular army, using armed mercenaries to march from southern Russia towards Moscow. Their goal was to topple the country’s military leadership, but the insurgency quickly ended.

The mutiny concluded with a mediated agreement by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin was to relocate to Belarus with some of his men as part of the deal.
Since then, he has consistently declined to relinquish control of Wagner, opting to remain largely inconspicuous in the public sphere.

A video surfaced on Monday depicting him in Africa, where he pledged to promote increased freedom.

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