Fawaz Adebisi
The head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been believed to have perished in a plane crash that occurred earlier Wednesday.
Russia’s civil aviation authority confirmed that Prigozhin was among the passengers on the ill-fated Embraer aircraft that crashed, resulting in the tragic loss of all on board.
It was gathered that the private jet was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg when the incident took place.
Initial reports from the Wagner-linked Telegram channel, Grey Zone suggested that the aircraft might have been shot down by air defenses in the Tver region, just north of Moscow.
Witnesses from the area reported hearing two distinct bangs and witnessing two vapor trails in the sky before the crash.
Also, the Embraer Legacy, which belonged to Prigozhin himself, reportedly caught fire upon impact with the ground.
Despite being in the air for less than thirty minutes, the plane met a tragic fate, raising concerns about the circumstances surrounding the crash.
This incident comes after Prigozhin had led a failed mutiny against the Russian armed forces back in June.
The mutiny, which involved moving Wagner troops from Ukraine, capturing the city of Rostov on Don, and issuing threats to march on Moscow, was eventually resolved through a deal.
This deal, therefore, allowed Wagner troops to either relocate to Belarus or join the Russian army.
While Prigozhin agreed to move to Belarus as part of the deal, recent reports had indicated that he continued to move freely, even making public appearances within Russia.
Despite his involvement in the mutiny, some experts had already labeled him a “dead man walking.”
President Putin’s initial response to the mutiny was vehement, accusing Prigozhin of betrayal and a backstabbing act.
Even after the settlement, which seemingly provided him safety, observers noted that revenge in such situations is something Putin often seeks.
Though no concrete evidence points to deliberate targeting, the circumstances surrounding Prigozhin’s tragic demise will inevitably raise questions.
Therefore, an investigation into the crash is currently underway, with emergency services scouring the crash site for clues.
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