Wagner CEO Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list of a plane that crashed, killing everyone on board, according to Russia’s civil aviation authorities.
The Embraer plane was shot down by air defenses in the Tver region, north of Moscow, according to the Wagner-linked Telegram channel Grey Zone.
The private jet was carrying seven passengers and three crew members from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
In June, Prigozhin launched an unsuccessful mutiny against the Russian armed forces. Or so they wanted us to think so.
According to Grey Zone, locals heard two thumps and witnessed as many vapor trails before the crash.
WATCH:
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL⚡️ Самолёт, который разбился в Тверской области, принадлежит Евгению Пригожину, утверждают издание Baza и журналистка Ксения Собчак. На борту бизнес-джета Embraer, как утверждается, были 7 человек, они погибли.
Видео: соцсети pic.twitter.com/EzyZ3PbVT8
— ЭХО (@echofm_online) August 23, 2023
According to Tass, Prigozhin’s plane, an Embraer Legacy, caught fire after crashing into the ground.
The plane had been in the air for less than 30 minutes, according to the report.
An investigation into the crash has been initiated, and emergency personnel are searching the area.
Ria, another news agency, said that eight bodies had been retrieved.
According to Grey Zone, Prigozhin’s second business plane landed safely in the Moscow region.
WATCH:
#BREAKING: Evgeny Prigozhin was listed among the passengers on board the Wagner Force plane that crashed in Russia pic.twitter.com/ZoRlym8jjD
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) August 23, 2023
On June 23-24, the 62-year-old mercenary leader led the revolt, withdrawing his forces from Ukraine, taking the southern Russian city of Rostov on Don, and threatening to march on Moscow.
The decision followed months of confrontation with Russian military commanders over the Ukraine crisis. Prigozhin continually mocked the high command of the Russian military. He was angry that his troops were not being resupplied adequately.
A compromise was reached that allowed Wagner troops to relocate to Belarus or join the Russian army.
Prigozhin promised to relocate to Belarus but appears to have been able to move freely, making public appearances in Russia and posting a video purportedly of him in Africa.
However, numerous Russian observers have described him as a “dead man walking” since the rebellion. Who knew he would end up a dead man flying?
In a video message on June 24, President Vladimir Putin reacted angrily to his challenge to Russia’s defense establishment, calling it a betrayal and a stab in the back.
The agreement did not guarantee Prigozhin’s safety.
“Revenge,” CIA Director William Burns observed, “is a dish Putin prefers served cold” – or words to that effect. So, this guy will talk about the Putin regime but not the Biden regime. Got it.
Of course, none of this proves that Prigozhin and his crew were purposefully targeted. However, when a 62-year-old man wakes up every day and the sun comes up, after a while he just comes to expect it.
But because of what happened, any claim that his death was an accident, if proven, will make many people suspicious. But what are the odds of this happening?
