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According to Russia's civil aviation authorities, the head of Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list of the plane that crashed, killing everyone on board.
The 62-year-old's private plane was reportedly shot down by air defenses, according to the Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel Grey Zone.
Later on Wednesday, Grey Zone wrote that Prigozhin passed away "as a result of traitors to Russia's actions."
In June, Prigozhin was the leader of a failed uprising against the Russian military.
Sergei Surovikin, a senior Russian general, is said to have been fired from his position as head of the air force the same day as the crash.
Gen. Surovikin had not been seen in public since the rebellion but was known to get along well with Prigozhin.
The flight was between Moscow and St. Petersburg.included three crew members and seven passengers.
Near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver region, roughly halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg, it is reported to have come down.
According to Grey Zone, there were two explosions and two vapour trails heard by nearby residents before to the accident.
According to the Tass news agency, Prigozhin's Embraer Legacy caught fire as soon as it touched down.
Less than 30 minutes had passed since the plane took to the air, it continued.
Aviation officials reported that senior Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin was also a passenger.
Emergency personnel are searching the scene as part of an investigation into the collision.
All ten bodies, according to Interfax, a different news agency, have been found.
According to Grey Zone, a second business jetPrigozhin-owned aircraft landed safely in the Moscow area.
Wagner was established in 2014 by the mercenary boss, and it currently has roughly 25,000 warriors.
The gang has a history of violence and has been active in Ukraine, Syria, and west Africa.
On June 23 and 24, Prigozhin led the mutiny by pulling his forces out of Ukraine, taking control of Rostov on Don in southern Russia, and threatening to march on Moscow.
Following months of conflict over the crisis in Ukraine, the action was taken.
A compromise that allowed Wagner troops to transfer to Belarus or enlist in the Russian army ended the standoff.
Although Prigozhin himself consented to transfer to Belarus, he has appeared in public in Russia and released a film that appeared to show him in Africa. This suggests that he has been allowed to roam around without restriction.
However, since the rebellion, he has been labeled a "dead man walking" by numerous observers of Russia.
In a video message on June 24, President Putin reacted angrily to his challenge to Russia's defense establishment, calling it a betrayal and a knife in the back.
The agreement did not assure his safety.
William Burns, the director of the CIA, said, "Revenge is a dish Putin prefers served cold."
Of course, none of this establishes that Prigozhin and his group were intended targets.
But considering the circumstances, many people will raise an eyebrow if any claims that his death was an accident are substantiated.
Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States, stated that he was "not surprised" to hear that Prigozhin might have passed away.
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