Russia: Wagner leader on board crashed plane

SGGPO 08/24/2023 09:12

Russian Air Transport Agency Rosaviatsia has released the names of the three crew members and seven passengers on board the crashed plane, including Prigozhin and Utkin.

The scene of the plane crash. Source: Twitter/TTXVN

According to the Russian Air Transport Agency Rosaviatsia, the "boss" of the Wagner Private Military Group Yevgeny Prigozhin and the commander of this force Dmitry Utkin were among 10 people on the plane that crashed in the north of Moscow on August 23.

The aviation authority has released the names of three crew members and seven passengers on board, including Prigozhin and Utkin. All died.

Earlier, at 18:20 Moscow time, an Embraer Legacy private plane believed to be owned by Mr. Prigozhin traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed in the Bologovsky district of Tver province.

According to the Russian Air Transport Agency, there were 10 people on board the plane, including 3 crew members and 7 passengers. By 10 p.m. the same day, Moscow time, 8 bodies had been found at the scene.

Soon after, the press service of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported that investigators opened a criminal case on violation of traffic safety rules and air transport operations after the plane crash.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, is the head of the Wagner mercenary group. On June 23 and 24, Mr. Prigozhin led an uprising against top Russian military commanders.

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