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An plane stated to be carrying infamous warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner group launched a failed mutiny in June, has crashed on a flight from Moscow to St Petersburg, in response to Russian officers.
All 10 individuals on the aircraft, together with three crew members, died within the crash, Russia’s emergency ministry stated, in response to state newswire RIA Novosti. Russian officers stated {that a} man with Prigozhin’s title was among the many passengers, with out elaborating additional.
If confirmed, Prigozhin’s loss of life would mark a spectacular finish to the warlord’s meteoric profession practically a 12 months and a half into president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, two months after he led his paramilitary pressure on a historic, abortive mutiny march on Moscow.
A submit by Gray Zone, a Wagner-connected social media channel, claimed that Russian anti-aircraft defences had shot down the aircraft within the Tver area close to the village of Kuzhenkino.
It stated that residents heard “two bursts of attribute air defence fireplace” earlier than the autumn of the aircraft, “and that is confirmed by inversion traces within the sky in one of many movies”, it stated, including that the data was preliminary.
Mash, a information outlet on social media app Telegram, stated locals had heard two loud bangs earlier than the crash.
A former Kremlin caterer referred to as “Putin’s chef”, Prigozhin emerged as probably the most vital leaders of Russia’s battle effort earlier than souring on the navy’s management a lot that he launched a coup towards them in late June.
Though Wagner’s males successfully seized management of two main cities in southern Russia, killing at the very least 13 troopers as they downed two helicopters and a aircraft on their march to Moscow, Putin had appeared to forgive them.
Below an settlement with the Kremlin, Wagner decamped for exile in neighbouring Belarus, whose chief Alexander Lukashenko brokered the truce.
Prigozhin stated final month that Wagner’s males would finally redeploy to Africa, the place the group continues to combat as mercenaries in a number of conflicts. He appeared in a video on Monday saying that he was in Africa on a mission to “make Russia even higher on all continents”.
Though Prigozhin appeared to have been reintegrated into the Russian safety institution, American officers had stated they anticipated that he was prone to face retribution.
“Putin is somebody who typically thinks that revenge is a dish finest served chilly,” William Burns, CIA director, stated whereas talking on the Aspen Safety Discussion board final month. “In my expertise Putin is the last word apostle of payback so I’d be stunned if Prigozhin escapes additional retribution for this.”
The plane, an Embraer Legacy, was the identical that Prigozhin had commonly used to journey round Russia and as distant as Africa, in response to flight monitoring web site Flightradar24.
When it final broadcast its place, it was at 28,000ft and transferring at a floor pace of 513 knots.
The route seems to be the plane’s regular flight path to St Petersburg, a run it final made on July 6.
Video of the crash and its aftermath posted by social media with ties to Russian safety providers confirmed the aircraft quickly descending from the sky, accompanied by a plume resembling pictures fired from anti-aircraft defences, earlier than crashing to the bottom in a ball of flame.
Nonetheless, Mash additionally reported that safety providers have been investigating the opportunity of a “terrorist assault on board” as one other potential explanation for the blast.
Further reporting by Chris Cook dinner in London
Obtain free Struggle in Ukraine updates
We’ll ship you a myFT Every day Digest e-mail rounding up the most recent Struggle in Ukraine information each morning.
An plane stated to be carrying infamous warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner group launched a failed mutiny in June, has crashed on a flight from Moscow to St Petersburg, in response to Russian officers.
All 10 individuals on the aircraft, together with three crew members, died within the crash, Russia’s emergency ministry stated, in response to state newswire RIA Novosti. Russian officers stated {that a} man with Prigozhin’s title was among the many passengers, with out elaborating additional.
If confirmed, Prigozhin’s loss of life would mark a spectacular finish to the warlord’s meteoric profession practically a 12 months and a half into president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, two months after he led his paramilitary pressure on a historic, abortive mutiny march on Moscow.
A submit by Gray Zone, a Wagner-connected social media channel, claimed that Russian anti-aircraft defences had shot down the aircraft within the Tver area close to the village of Kuzhenkino.
It stated that residents heard “two bursts of attribute air defence fireplace” earlier than the autumn of the aircraft, “and that is confirmed by inversion traces within the sky in one of many movies”, it stated, including that the data was preliminary.
Mash, a information outlet on social media app Telegram, stated locals had heard two loud bangs earlier than the crash.
A former Kremlin caterer referred to as “Putin’s chef”, Prigozhin emerged as probably the most vital leaders of Russia’s battle effort earlier than souring on the navy’s management a lot that he launched a coup towards them in late June.
Though Wagner’s males successfully seized management of two main cities in southern Russia, killing at the very least 13 troopers as they downed two helicopters and a aircraft on their march to Moscow, Putin had appeared to forgive them.
Below an settlement with the Kremlin, Wagner decamped for exile in neighbouring Belarus, whose chief Alexander Lukashenko brokered the truce.
Prigozhin stated final month that Wagner’s males would finally redeploy to Africa, the place the group continues to combat as mercenaries in a number of conflicts. He appeared in a video on Monday saying that he was in Africa on a mission to “make Russia even higher on all continents”.
Though Prigozhin appeared to have been reintegrated into the Russian safety institution, American officers had stated they anticipated that he was prone to face retribution.
“Putin is somebody who typically thinks that revenge is a dish finest served chilly,” William Burns, CIA director, stated whereas talking on the Aspen Safety Discussion board final month. “In my expertise Putin is the last word apostle of payback so I’d be stunned if Prigozhin escapes additional retribution for this.”
The plane, an Embraer Legacy, was the identical that Prigozhin had commonly used to journey round Russia and as distant as Africa, in response to flight monitoring web site Flightradar24.
When it final broadcast its place, it was at 28,000ft and transferring at a floor pace of 513 knots.
The route seems to be the plane’s regular flight path to St Petersburg, a run it final made on July 6.
Video of the crash and its aftermath posted by social media with ties to Russian safety providers confirmed the aircraft quickly descending from the sky, accompanied by a plume resembling pictures fired from anti-aircraft defences, earlier than crashing to the bottom in a ball of flame.
Nonetheless, Mash additionally reported that safety providers have been investigating the opportunity of a “terrorist assault on board” as one other potential explanation for the blast.
Further reporting by Chris Cook dinner in London