Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, was reported dead after a plane crash just north of Moscow this Wednesday. The deadly crash didn’t spare any lives. Prigozhin is infamous for leading a failed rebellion against the Russian military earlier this year, thus sparking widespread gossip and uncertainty about the actual events.
Thus far, neither the Kremlin nor the Russian Ministry of Defence has issued any comments on the death of Prigozhin.
As per the reports, the tragic air crash claimed the lives of all 10 people on-board the private jet – a total of seven passengers and three crew members. It’s suggested that Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin’s deputy and the co-founder of Wagner, is also among the deceased.
The private plane met with its tragic end mid-way on its journey from Moscow to St Petersburg, roughly 100 kilometres north of the Russian capital city.
Flight tracker information reveals the aircraft departing from Moscow Wednesday evening with its transponder signal dropping out just minutes afterward. The plane went down in a remote area, devoid of any airfields where it could have made a secure landing.
On Thursday morning, Russia’s emergency response teams confirmed the recovery of all ten bodies from the crash site.
The crash sets off alarm bells. Ever since Prigozhin lead a military revolt in Russia on June 24, in which Wagner mercenaries stormed Moscow, he has maintained a low profile.
President Vladimir Putin had condemned the uprising, branding it as “treason” and a “betrayal”. He had sworn retribution. However, the allegations against Prigozhin were quickly dismissed under a covert arrangement that compelled the mercenary squad to move to Belarus.
The commanding officer of notable mercenaries aiding Russia in Ukraine has allegedly resurfaced in Russia itself.
Following this, Russian press revealed that a high-profile general with links to Prigozhin was discharged from his post as the head of the air force.
Prigozhin, held in high esteem by many Russians, stirred up a whirlwind within Russia’s political sphere.
He launched continuous vitriolic attacks on the Russian military for their operations against Kyiv, publicly resisting the Kremlin’s interpretation of the conflict and urging for an end to it.
Keir Giles, a renowned Russia expert affiliated with the Chatham House, an international affairs think tank, has advised taking reported news of Prigozhin’s death with a grain of salt.
Numerous people have adopted the name Yevgeniy Prigozhin, contributing to his attempt to mask his movements,” he commented. Don’t be shocked if we soon spot him in an upcoming video from Africa.
The Associated Press scrutinized flight tracking data which indicated that a personal plane, usually used by Prigozhin, departed from Moscow on Wednesday evening. Not long after, its transponder signal interestingly vanished.
The Russian Investigative Committee has initiated a probe into the recent crash, alleging violation of air safety norms, a standard protocol for such events.
Whether or not Prigozhin’s death is confirmed in the end, it is projected to have little to no impact on the ongoing war in Ukraine. Prigozhin’s forces have been on the front lines of some of the severest fighting seen over the past year and a half.
Following their capture of the city of Bakhmut located in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, Prigozhin’s forces were pulled back from the front lines. The battle for Bakhmut, which ensued for months, was among the bloodiest in the entire war. However, the Russian forces found it challenging to capture the city.
Post the rebellion, Russian authorities announced that Prigozhin fighters would only be allowed re-entry into Ukraine as part of the official army.
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