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Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin killed in plane crash

The private plane crashed in Moscow’s Tver region
Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves a cemetery before the funeral of Russian military blogger Maxim Fomin widely known by the name of Vladlen Tatarsky, who was recently killed in a bomb attack in a St Petersburg cafe, in Moscow, Russia, April 8, 2023. REUTERS
Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves a cemetery before the funeral of Russian military blogger Maxim Fomin widely known by the name of Vladlen Tatarsky, who was recently killed in a bomb attack in a St Petersburg cafe, in Moscow, Russia, April 8, 2023. REUTERS

Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was among the dead when a private plane crashed in Moscow’s Tver region of Russia, killing all 10 people on board, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.

Prigozhin was among the victims of the plane crash, AFP quoted Russian agencies as saying.

“The plane that crashed in the Tver Region listed Yevgeny Prigozhin among its passengers, (Russia’s aviation agency) Rosaviatsia said,” TASS news agency reported, with RIA Novosti and Interfax issuing similar reports.

Prigozhin, 62, spearheaded a mutiny against Russia’s top army brass on June 23-24 which President Vladimir Putin said could have tipped Russia into civil war.

The mutiny was ended by negotiations and an apparent Kremlin deal which saw Prigozhin agree to relocate to neighbouring Belarus. But he had appeared to move freely inside Russia after the deal nonetheless.

Prigozhin, 62, who had sought to topple Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, on Monday posted a video address that he suggested was shot in Africa.

Earlier, Grey Zone, a Telegram channel linked with Wagner reported the air defences shot down the Embraer aircraft in the Tver region, north of Moscow, BBC reported.

The jet, bound for St Petersburg from Moscow, had seven passengers and three crew on board.

“There were 10 people on board, including 3 crew members. According to preliminary information, all those on board died,” Russia’s ministry for emergency situation had said shortly before.

Around 1700 GMT the ministry announced that a “private Embraer Legacy aircraft travelling from Moscow to Saint Petersburg crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver Region.”

It said it was conducting search operations.

Videos on Telegram channels linked to Wagner posted footage – that AFP could not independently confirm – showing the wreckage of plane burning in a field.

With input from agencies

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Yevgeny Prigozhin

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