Wagner Group chief Prigozhin reportedly onboard deadly plane crash

globalnews.ca:

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group who led an aborted revolt against President Vladimir Putin earlier this summer, was listed as a passenger on a private jet that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday, Reuters, BBC and The Associated Press reported.

Reuters and The Associated Press quoted a Russian TASS news agency report, which cited Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation authority. The BBC cited the Russian aviation authority directly.

“An investigation has been launched into the Embraer plane crash that occurred tonight in the Tver region. According to the passenger list, among them is the name and surname of Yevgeny Prigozhin,” Rosaviatsia said, according to those reports.

Earlier TASS had reported that 10 people had died after a private jet crashed in Russia’s Tver region north of Moscow. The jet, en route to St. Petersburg from Moscow, was carrying seven passengers and three crew.

Unconfirmed media reports said the jet belonged to Prigozhin, AP reported. It’s not clear at this point whether Prigozhin was aboard the plane. Global News has not independently reviewed the passenger list.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters in Charlottetown, P.E.I., Wednesday the government was aware of the reports.

“I’ll be able to have access to more information soon. I’ll be able to assess the impact, and there will be definitely important diplomatic conversations particularly with our allies in the G7 in the coming days,” she said.

On June 23, Prigozhin led a brief mutiny in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Donand. His forces were said to be near Moscow when his revolt was defused in a deal brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Prigozhin’s