Defence
Wagner PMC Head Yevgeny Prigozhin, Who Led The One-Day Coup To Moscow, Feared Dead As His Jet Crashes In Russia
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner PMC
Russian Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is rumored to be among the ten passengers feared dead in a plane crash in Russia.
Prigozhin, known for leading a twenty-hour coup against Russian President Vladimir Putin, was reportedly aboard the ill-fated aircraft when it crashed.
According to reports, that there were ten passengers on board the business jet at the time of the crash, and fears are now mounting that all individuals on board may have lost their lives.
The name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed in the passenger manifest, indicating his presence on the aircraft.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the plane was owned by Prigozhin himself.
Russia's aviation regulatory body, Rosaviatsia, has affirmed Prigozhin's inclusion in the passenger list. However, it remains uncertain whether he had indeed boarded the flight.
According to Russia's state news agency Tass, the plane was reportedly manned by three pilots and carried seven passengers.
Just two months ago (on June 24), Yevgeny Prigozhin along with his Wagner PMC fighters marched towards Moscow, leading a coup in an attempt to overthrow the current Russian government led by long-time Russian President Vladimir Putin.
These Wagner PMC fighters were fighting alongside Russian military in the Russia-Ukraine war and are credited to capture the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine after a grueling battle lasting over half a year, often referred to as the 'meat grinder' due to the staggering loss of human lives.
Prigozhin in the battle had repeatedly blamed the Russian ministry of defence (MoD) for deliberately starving his fighters of ammunition supplies, which has cost unnecessary loss of lives of Wagner fighters.
Wagner fighters in the beginning of the coup on 24 June swiftly took over various government buildings including the head office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs — the FSB, and transport facility in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.
The coup, however, was short-lived and a settlement was negotiated between the Russian government and Yevgeny Prigozhin by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
As part of this arrangement, Prigozhin and his fighters involved in the coup were offered the option to relocate to Belarus to assist in training the Belarusian army.
The fighters who didn't took part in the coup, on the other hand, were offered a chance to join the Russian Army.
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