Ten passengers were killed in a plane crash in Russia on Wednesday. The leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is said to have been on board, but his death has not yet been officially confirmed. Here’s what we know so far.
The plane with 10 people on board crashed in Russia’s Tver region, north of Moscow, on Wednesday. She was on her way from the Russian capital to St Petersburg.
All passengers were killed. The local authorities have now found the 10 bodies and the search for them is complete.
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Prigozhin appears to be one of those 10 dead, though Russia itself has yet to confirm this. Russia’s aviation authority says the commander of the mercenary army was on board. His name is also on the passenger lists.
Furthermore, Gray Zone, a Telegram channel linked to the Wagner Group, reported that Prigozhin did not survive the crash. It is not known what the gray area is based on.
And in Wagner’s office building in Saint Petersburg, the lights were turned on after the news so that a large cross could be seen. Flowers were placed in the office and candles lit.
Principal Wagner conductor Dmitry Utkin is also said to have passed away. He was also on the plane’s passenger list. Utkin was one of the founders of the Mercenary Army and was seen as Prigozhin’s right-hand man.
The incident comes after two months of conflict between Prigozhin and the leadership of the Russian army. The Wagner Group then mutinied (briefly), after the Russians asked the Wagner Forces to sign a contract. And then the mercenaries will be hired by the Russian army. Prigozhin wanted none of that.
What followed was a strange day, as Prigozhin and his men headed for Moscow. They captured the city of Rostov-on-Don and shot down several Russian attack helicopters. In the end, they did not reach the Russian capital.
This conflict is also why there is so much speculation about the plane crash. Critics quickly pointed fingers at Russia. More recently, more people have died under suspicious circumstances after upsetting President Vladimir Putin in one way or another.
Fingers are also being pointed at Ukraine. Thursday is Independence Day in the country attacked by Russia (and the Wagner Group).
However, there is still a lot of uncertainty about the plane crash. The big question is why the plane suddenly looks like it fell out of the sky. according to Reuters Hardly any issues with the device have been reported so far.
US President Joe Biden joined speculation, Wednesday, that he would leave a sports class. “I don’t know what happened, but I’m not surprised. Not much happens in Russia without Putin getting behind it.”
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