Wagner Prigozhin's private plane crashed in Tver province, western Russia, his name was also on the passenger list on the plane.
"A privately owned Embraer Legacy aircraft crashed in the Tver region. There were 10 people on board, including three crew members and seven passengers. Preliminary information suggests that all of them have died," the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said on August 23.
Video posted on social media shows the plane with one of its main wings broken and plunging to the ground.
An Embraer Legacy plane crashed in Tver province, western Russia, on August 23. Video: Telegram/RVvoenkor
The plane crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in Tver province while flying from the capital Moscow to the city of Saint Petersburg.
The Russian Federal Aviation Administration said the passenger list included the name of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the private military corporation Wagner. Eight bodies were found at the scene, but their identities have not been released.
Russian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
The scene of the plane crash in Tver province on August 23. Photo: RIA Novosti
Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, emerged from St. Petersburg in the late 1990s as a restaurant businessman, gradually building up his reputation with the Kremlin, moving into construction and then opening a mercenary company.
Prigozhin entered the military sphere in 2014 when he founded the Wagner company. Wagner members are former Russian soldiers recruited to help Moscow protect its national interests and security. Wagner is said to have been involved in ensuring the smooth conduct of the 2014 referendum on the annexation of Crimea, as well as providing military support to separatists in the Donbass region.
Prigozhin publicly admitted he was the founder of Wagner last year, and vowed to support the Russian military on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Prigozhin became the face of Wagner, appearing in many of the group’s recruitment videos. Wagner also became a household name in Russia’s war in Ukraine, as the role of this “mercenary” force grew increasingly important.
Prigozhin in a photo posted online on August 21. Video: Telegram/RVvoenkor
After months of fierce fighting, Wagner took complete control of Bakhmut, increasing Prigozhin's reputation and influence in Russian politics. Prigozhin then announced the withdrawal of Wagner's troops to their rear bases and handed the city over to the regular Russian army.
After 24 hours of rebellion on June 24, Wagner reached an agreement with the Kremlin through Belarus and moved with members of his force to that country. Observers said this was the end of all of Prigozhin's political ambitions.
The last time Wagner appeared in the media was on August 21, when Prigozhin posted a video implying that he was in Africa and would "make Russia greater".
Vu Anh (According to TASS )
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