Iran Press/ Europe: Russian authorities confirmed that the Wagner private military group's boss was on board the aircraft when it crashed, killing all 10 passengers.
According to Russia’s federal air transport agency: “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 flight appears to have been traveling between Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Wagner-linked Telegram channels have reported that Russian air defenses shot the plane down.
Grey Zone said local residents heard two bangs before the crash and saw two vapour trails.
Tass news agency said the plane, a private Embraer Legacy, caught fire on hitting the ground, adding that four bodies had already been found.
It said the aircraft had been in the air for less than half an hour.
The Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner Grey Zone claimed: “The plane was shot down in the sky over the Tver region by air defense forces of the Russian Defense Ministry.”
It added: “It is reported that one of the Embraer Legacy 600 private planes belonging to Yevgeny Prigozhin disappeared from the radar at 18:20, the dispatchers tried to contact the crew, but to no avail, after which the air traffic controllers notified the Russian Ministry of Defense and air defense units about the incident.”
Furthermore, the channel added that there’s a second plane also owned by Prigozhin: “The second private aircraft owned by Evgeny Prigozhin, Embraer ERJ-135BJ ‘Legacy 650’ with the number RA-02748, after shooting down another aircraft of Evgeny Prigozhin with the number RA-02795, is currently cruising in the sky over Moscow.”
The Federal Agency for Air Transport of Russia said it initiated an investigation of the crash of the Embraer plane that crashed in the Tver Region on Wednesday, the agency said in its statement, adding that the Prigozhin was included in the list of passengers of the crashed flight.
“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,” state news agency TASS reported.
Prigozhin led an abortive coup against Russia’s military leadership in June, which ended after Wagner fighters were promised amnesty in neighboring Belarus.
Prigozhin himself agreed to relocate to Belarus but has been able to move freely, being seen in Russia and also reportedly visiting Africa.
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