Aug. 23 (UPI) — Wagner Mercenary Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list of a private jet that crashed in Russia on Wednesday, killing all 10 people aboard, Russian officials said.
The pro-Wagner Telegram channel Grey Zone said the jet was shot down by Russian air defenses over the Russian Tver region. It was flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
All aboard the Embraer plane — seven passengers and three crew — were killed, the Federal Air Transport Agency said. The plane hit the ground and caught on fire.
Prigozhin, 62, led his forces in a mutiny against the Russian military on June 23-24, marching within miles of Moscow before retreating.
Earlier Wednesday, Russian media reported that the former head of Russian forces in Ukraine, Gen. Sergei Surovikin, was relieved of his duties as chief of Russia’s Air Force because of his alleged close ties to Prigozhin.
