Prigozhin, Russian mercenary leader, confirmed dead in plane crash
The death of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has been confirmed by the Russian Investigative Committee, according to AFP.
The committee said on Sunday that the identities of the ten victims of the crash, which occurred on Wednesday in the Tver region, about 180 kilometres northwest of Moscow, have been established and match the passenger list.
The committee did not provide any further details.
The Russian Aviation Agency, Rosaviatsia, confirmed this week that Prigozhin was on board a private Embraer Legacy jet that was flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
In total, three crew members and seven passengers were on board the plane.
Prigozhin's right-hand man, Dmitry Utkin, a former officer in a special unit of the military intelligence services (GRU) and the operational commander of the Wagner Group, is also among the victims.
The crash occurred two months after a brief rebellion by Prigozhin on June 23-24, which immediately led to suspicions of an assassination orchestrated at the top of Russian power.
However, investigators have not yet said anything about the leads they are examining, and have not mentioned either the theory of an accident or that of a bomb, an air-to-air missile, or a pilot error.
In Washington, Paris, Berlin, and Kyiv, senior officials have suggested that they directly suspect the Kremlin.
The Kremlin has denied ordering the assassination of Prigozhin and dismissed the accusations as "speculation" and "absolute lies."
