The boss of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin has died in a plane crash. He was on the passenger list of a Russian Embraer jet which crashed killin
The boss of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin has died in a plane crash.
He was on the passenger list of a Russian Embraer jet which crashed killing all on board.
There are reports that the aircraft was shot down by air defences in the Tver region, north of Moscow.
The jet, which was flying from the capital to St Petersburg, was carrying seven passengers and three crew.
Local residents recall hearing two bangs before the crash and saw two vapour trails. The aircraft caught fire on hitting the ground.
Four bodies have so far been evacuated from the site of the crash.
The aircraft had been in the air for less than half an hour, it said.
Recall that 62 year old Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against the Russian armed forces in June after moving his troops from Ukraine, seizing the southern Russian city of Rostov on Don, and threatening to march on Moscow.
The move came after months of tension with Russian military commanders over the Ukraine conflict.
The stand-off was settled by a deal which allowed Wagner troops to move to Belarus, or join the Russian army.
Prigozhin himself agreed to relocate to Belarus but has apparently been able to move freely, being seen in Russia and also reportedly visiting Africa.
