VIDEO FROM CNN WIRE
The Russian news agency TASS reports that Yevgeny Prigozhin is listed as having been on board a business jet that crashed today in the Tver Region of Russia. It’s believed that all 10 people on board the plane were killed. There was immediate speculation that Putin had ordered the airplane shot down or had a bomb planted on board.
Prigozhin led the mercenary force that fought for Russia in its war against Ukraine and also fought on behalf of Russia in Africa. Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin and some of Putin’s generals had a falling out over the conduct of the war that climaxed in Prigozhin leading his Wagner Group mercenary force in what appeared to be an attempted coup against Putin. The uprising failed, and a march on Moscow by Prigozhin’s mercenaries was stopped before troops reached the Russian capital.
“An investigation of the Embraer plane crash that happened in the Tver Region this evening was initiated. According to the passenger list, first and last name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was included in this list,” TASS quoted Russia’s Emergencies Ministry as reporting.
The Embraer jet was flying from Sheremetyevo to St. Petersburg. There were three pilots and seven passengers on board. The crash occurred near Kuzhenkino. The plane reportedly caught fire after hitting the ground. It had been in flight less than 30 minutes.
