Wagner Founder Yevgeny Prigozhin Among 10 Dead In Private Jet Crash In Russia
Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group that rebelled against Russia’s military command in June, was reportedly one of the 10 victims of a private jet crash in the north of Moscow on Wednesday, August 23.
The Federal Agency for Air Transport of Russia said that Prigozhin’s name was on the passenger list of the Embraer aircraft, which was flying from Moscow to St Petersburg.
The jet crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino Tver region, 60 miles north of Moscow, killing all seven passengers and three crew members on board.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Russian Civil Aviation Authority.
Prigozhin was the founder of the Wagner group, a private military company that has been involved in conflicts in Syria, Libya and Ukraine.
He was also a close associate of President Vladimir Putin and a target of US sanctions for his alleged role in meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.
In June, Prigozhin and some of his Wagner fighters staged a brief mutiny against Russia’s military leadership, accusing them of corruption and incompetence in Syria.
The mutiny was quickly suppressed by Russian forces, but raised questions about Prigozhin’s loyalty and influence in Russia’s foreign policy.
