Head of Russia's mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a short-lived mutiny against Russian President Vladimir Putin in June, has been reportedly killed in a plane crash in Russia, along with nine other people on board, TASS news agency reported.
An Embraer business jet carrying ten people crashed in the Tver region near Kuzhenkino, killing all persons on board, Russia's Emergencies Ministry told TASS.
"The Embraer airplane was on the way from Sheremetyevo to St. Petersburg. There were three pilots and seven passengers on board. All of them died," said a source from the Ministry
Launching an investigation, the Federal Agency for Air Transport of Russia initiated an investigation and said that Prigozhin was among the passengers killed in the crash.
"An investigation of the Embraer plane crash that happened in the Tver Region this evening was initiated. According to the passenger list, first and last name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was included in this list," the agency noted earlier.
This came a day after the Russian mercenary leader posted a video where he was apparently recruiting people for the Wagner group in Africa. The 62-year-old Prigozhin says the Wagner Group is conducting reconnaissance and search activities, and “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free.”
According to Russian social media, Prigozhin was recruiting fighters to work in Africa and was also inviting investors from Russia to provide funds for the Central African Republic through Russian House. Wagner soldiers are heavily active in the Central African Republic and are accused of committing human rights abuses.
It is worth mentioning Russia witnessed a series of dramatic events in July after Prigozhin called for mutiny-- in the latest event that demonstrated a feud between the country's official and private armies publically.
Subsequently, multiple videos showed Wagner fighters capturing the city of Rostov before racing north in convoy, transporting tanks and armoured trucks and smashing through barricades set up to stop them. Later, multiple media reports also claimed oil depots and crucial buildings were blown by the private armed group.
Later, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal wherein it was abruptly mentioned that Wagner soldiers had to move to Belarusian territory.
Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Yevgeny Prigozhin-- a Russian oligarch, mercenary chief, and a close confidant of Putin-- is sometimes called "Putin's chef", as he owns restaurants and catering companies that provide services for the Kremlin. However, ever since Putin escalated the war against his neighbouring nation, Ukraine, he formed and had been leading the group. However, his history with leadership in Moscow dates back decades.
ALSO READ | Lithuania temporarily closes border checkpoints with Belarus amid fears over presence of Wagner mercenaries
