Topline
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin—a one-time Putin ally who led a failed mutiny against the Russian military—has been confirmed dead by Russia’s Investigative Committee after days of speculation over whether or not he was on board the private plane that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday, killing all on board.
People lay carnations to a memorial as they pay tribute to Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a plane … [+]
Key Facts
A spokesperson for the committee said Sunday genetic testing has confirmed the identities of those who died on board match the passenger list from the flight’s manifest, which included Prigozhin, his top field commander Dmitri Utkin, three pilots and five other passengers.
U.S. officials have said it was likely an explosion that brought the plane down within a half hour of its takeoff from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport and a BBC report citing U.K. authorities last week said Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, the FSB, was likely behind the airplane crash.
The Kremlin dismissed the theories as an “absolute lie” Friday and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who said he’d warned Prigozhin about his safety, said the incident was “too rough and unprofessional a job” for Russian President Vladimir Putin to have been responsible, according to Reuters.
Putin called Prigozhin a “talented person” with a “complicated life,” and sent condolences to the families of all 10 people who died aboard the plane on Thursday.
Key Background
Prigozhin, who has been critical of how Russia’s military leadership handled the war in Ukraine, led an armed rebellion considered to be one of the largest threats to Putin’s 23 years in power earlier this summer, leading Putin to warn of a possible civil war in Russia. The Wagner group is made up of thousands of ex-prisoners and other mercenary fighters recruited by Prigozhin, who were able to gain control of several cities and shot down multiple military aircraft. Both sides agreed to a peace deal in June that moved Prigozhin and his troops to Belarus without facing charges, but tensions between Putin and Prigozhin continued to simmer. In late June, Prigozhin was called a “dead man walking” by Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer, who said it was “inconceivable” that “Putin will allow him to live any longer than is absolutely necessary.” That same month, Prigozhin was accused of “betrayal” in a public address by Putin.
What We Don’t Know
How the Wagner group, designated as a “transnational criminal organization” by the U.S, moves on. The future of the group has been questioned since the failed mutiny and Prigozhin’s death has only led to more uncertainty. Wagner fighters are currently deployed across the Middle East and Africa and have also helped Russian forces in Ukraine.
Further Reading
‘A Complete Lie’: Russia Dismisses Western Intelligence Reports Of A Bomb On Board Prigozhin’s Plane (Forbes)
Prigozhin’s Plane Likely Exploded—Possibly Due To A Bomb—Report Says (Forbes)
Everything We Know—And Don’t Know—About The Plane Crash That Reportedly Killed Yevgeny Prigozhin (Forbes)
Who Is Yevgeny Prigozhin: ‘Putin’s Chef’-Turned-Chief Rival Reportedly In Fatal Plane Crash (Forbes)
Russia’s ‘Civil War’ Crisis Explained: Prigozhin Accepts Peace Deal Without Charges, Moves Wagner Forces To Belarus (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/08/27/russia-confirms-prigozhins-death-after-mercenary-leader-killed-in-plane-crash/