Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the notorious Wagner Group, a private military company that operates in various conflict zones around the world, has died in a plane crash along with nine other people.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, when the private jet carrying Prigozhin and his associates was reportedly shot down by unidentified Russian forces in the Tver region, north of Moscow.
Prigozhin was a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had entrusted him with several sensitive missions, such as intervening in the Syrian and Libyan civil wars.
However, Prigozhin had recently fallen out with Putin after he allegedly plotted a coup against him in June 2023.
Prigozhin had mobilized some of his Wagner Group fighters to overthrow Putin and seize power in Russia. Putin had denounced Prigozhin as a “traitor” and vowed to bring him to justice.
The exact motive and circumstances of the plane crash are still unclear, but some sources suggest that it was a deliberate act of sabotage by the Russian military, who wanted to eliminate Prigozhin and his followers before they could pose a further threat to Putin’s regime.
The Russian authorities have not confirmed or denied these allegations, and have launched an investigation into the incident. Prigozhin’s death marks the end of one of the most influential and controversial figures in Russia’s modern history.
