London, Aug 24, (PA Media/dpa/GNA) – UK ministers are closely watching Russia, following reports that the leader of the Wagner mercenary group died in a plane crash.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner chief, was reportedly on the passenger list of a private jet, which went down about 300 kilometres north of Moscow on Wednesday, according to Russian authorities.
All 10 people on board: three pilots and seven passengers, died according to officials cited by Russia’s state news agency Tass.
It was not clear if Mr Prigozhin was among those on board the plane, but Russia’s civilian aviation regulator said he was on the manifest.
Mr Prigozhin mounted a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in June, over dissatisfaction about the treatment of his Wagner fighters in Ukraine.
Wagner has fought alongside Russia’s regular army during the invasion, and have often been seen as the more fierce and successful military force.
The mercenary boss’s fate has been the subject of close scrutiny ever since, after his apparent exile to Belarus following the uprising.
Russian president Vladimir Putin initially denounced the rebellion as treason, but charges against Mr Prigozhin were dropped, and reports have suggested he has appeared in Russia in recent weeks.
The mercenary leader made his first video appearance, following the mutiny, earlier this week, suggesting he was in Africa alongside Wagner fighters.
Videos and photos circulating on social media, appear to show what appears to be the crashed plane plummeting out of the sky, and a burning heap of aircraft wreckage.
GNA