top of page
  • Writer's pictureLaurie Suarez

Russia's investigators confirm Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin died in plane crash.

Russia's Investigation Committee says genetic tests have confirmed that Yevgeny Prigozhin was among the 10 people who died in a plane crash last Wednesday.

Key points:

  • Yevgeny Prigozhin's private plane crashed north-west of Moscow last week, killing all those on board

  • It was exactly two months after the Wagner mercenary group founder's armed revolt

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin described the mutiny as "treason" but later met with Mr Prigozhin at the Kremlin


Mr Prigozhin, 62, was the founder of the Wagner mercenary group who led an abortive mutiny against Russia's army in June.

Mr Prigozhin's private plane crashed north-west of Moscow, killing all those on board.

The Kremlin denied that it was to blame for the incident.

"As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular-genetic examinations have been completed," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement on its site on the Telegram messaging app.

A Kremlin spokesman said it was "too early" to say if Mr Putin would attend Mr Prigozhin's funeral.(Reuters/Sputnik: Alexey Filippov)

"According to their results, the identities of all 10 dead were established. They correspond to the list stated in the flight sheet," it said.

Among the other confirmed victims were Dmitry Utkin, Mr Prigozhin's right-hand man who managed the Wagner group's military operations and Wagner logistics mastermind Valery Chekalov.

The private jet crashed two months to the day after Mr Prigozhin's armed revolt in the southern city of Rostov, with a threat to march on Moscow.

President Vladimir Putin described the mutiny as a treacherous "stab in the back", but later met with Mr Prigozhin in the Kremlin.

The brief uprising posed the biggest challenge to Mr Putin’s authority of his 23-year rule.

Western politicians and commentators have suggested, without presenting evidence, that Mr Putin ordered Mr Prigozhin to be killed as punishment for the mutiny.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that such suggestions were "an absolute lie".

Asked whether Mr Putin might attend Mr Prigozhin's funeral, Mr Peskov said it was too early to say and also noted the president's "busy schedule".

Yevgeny Prigozhin (left) assists Vladimir Putin during a dinner in 2011.(Supplied: Reuters)

Mr Putin paid a mixed tribute to Mr Prigozhin on Thursday, describing him as a "talented businessman" but also as a flawed character who "made serious mistakes in life".

Mr Prigozhin's Wagner fighters played a prominent role in the fighting in eastern Ukraine, in particular the months-long siege of the city of Bakhmut.

After the mutiny, the Kremlin said Mr Prigozhin would be exiled in Belarus.

His fighters were offered three options: to follow Mr Prigozhin to Belarus, retire or enlist in Russia's regular army and return to Ukraine.

Several thousand Wagner mercenaries opted to move to Belarus, where a camp was erected for them south-east of the capital, Minsk.



Russia's investigators confirm Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin died in last week's plane crash
Wagner Boss

3 views0 comments
bottom of page