Russian investigators confirmed Wagner mercenary group leader Prigozhin dead in plane crash
Russian investigators have confirmed that the leader of the Wagner Group private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was among the 10 people who died in a plane crash in northwestern Russia last Wednesday.
The Investigative Committee announced on Sunday that the identities of the victims had been confirmed by genetic tests.
The private jet crashed two months after Prigozhin staged a short-lived mutiny.
US media outlets have reported that an explosive may have been planted on the aircraft.
There have also been reports that say it is highly likely Russia’s security service was involved.
A US think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, noted that the Kremlin and the Russian defense ministry had been weakening Prigozhin’s authority since he led an armed rebellion against Moscow in June.
The institute said that Prigozhin’s assassination was likely the final step to eliminate Wagner as an independent organization.
The Kremlin on Friday categorically denied these claims, calling them “an absolute lie.”
Earlier, the Russian government says the name of the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is included in the passenger list of a crashed private jet.
Russia’s ministry of emergency situations had announced that the plane crashed in the northwestern region of Tver while flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Aviation officials released the names of the seven passengers and three crew members on board, including those of Prigozhin and Wagner’s top commander, Dmitry Utkin.
