Yevgeny Prigozhin: Russian Mercenary Leader Who Turned Against Putin ‘Killed’ In Jet Crash

Russia’s Civil Aviation authority has announced that Wagner’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was aboard a jet that crashed on Wednesday, killing all passengers, BBC reports.

Russia’s civilian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, confirmed Prigozhin was on the passenger list but failed to give further insight if he boarded.

“A private Embraer Legacy aircraft travelling from Moscow to Saint Petersburg crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver Region. There were 10 people on board, including 3 crew members. According to preliminary information, all those on board died,” it stated.

Recall that the head of the Wagner paramilitary group and mercenaries had approved an internal revolt in Russia a few months back.

This forced President Vladimir Putin to issue a national address for a united country.

He said Putin’s war in Ukraine was borne out of false pretense, adding that his government abandoned them to die at the war front.

“There are 25,000 of us and we are going to find out why there is such chaos in the country. There are 25,000 of us waiting as a tactical reserve and a strategic reserve. It’s the whole army and the whole country, everyone who wants to join us. We must end this debacle,” he said before staging a revolt.

Prigozhin temporarily stopped his troops from advancing and launching an attack on Russia’s capital, Moscow.

BBC reports that “Earlier, Wagner-linked Telegram channel Grey Zone reported the Embraer aircraft was shot down by air defences in the Tver region, north of Moscow.”

The jet was said to be flying from Moscow to St Petersburg, and was carrying seven passengers and three crew members.