Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner mercenary group, was on board a plane that crashed northwest of Moscow on Wednesday, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said.
The crash comes months after Prigozhin launched a mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. The attempted rebellion was called off in a deal that required Prigozhin and his fighters to relocate to Belarus.
Here’s what you need to know about the crash and other recent developments in the Russia-Ukraine war:
Prigozhin on list of passengers aboard plane, Russia’s aviation agency says: The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said that Prigozhin was among the people on board the plane that crashed in the western Tver region. A Telegram channel linked to the Wagner private military group also issued a statement saying Prigozhin has been killed. The channel has previously carried Wagner propaganda videos, and Prigozhin’s official press service has linked to it in the past. CNN is unable to confirm the assertion. Other channels associated with Prigozhin and Wagner, including his official Telegram channel, have remained silent.
Numbers on plane engine debris seen at apparent crash site match plane registered to Prigozhin: Video of plane engine debris taken at the purported crash site in the Tver region northwest of Moscow matches a plane registered to Prigozhin. In the video, the last four digits of a registration number on the still-burning engine debris are seen: 2795. Prigozhin’s plane is registered as RA-02795.
At least 8 bodies found at plane crash site: Russian state media outlet Russia-24 has reported that eight bodies have been found at the plane crash site. Russian state media has also reported that 10 people were on board the aircraft.
Biden suggests Putin may be behind the plane crash: US President Joe Biden suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been involved in the crash. “You may recall, I was asked about this,” Biden told CNN’s Kevin Liptak Wednesday, alluding to comments he made in July in which he said Prigozhin should be worried about his safety following the failed mutiny. “I said I would be careful what I rode in. I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised,” Biden said today.
Russia launches criminal case following plane crash: The Russian Investigative Committee said it has initiated “a criminal case” following the crash of the Embraer Legacy aircraft. The committee said the case was based on Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which involves the violation of the rules of traffic safety and operation of air transport.
Russian aviation authority to investigate crash: The Russian state aviation authority Rosaviation says that a specially created commission “has begun investigating the circumstances and causes of the accident with the Embraer-135 aircraft, which occurred on August 23 in the Tver region.” The authority’s statement said the plane belonged to MNT-Aero LLC, which specializes in business transportation.
In Ukraine, more than 500 children have been killed since start of war: Some 541 children have been killed in Ukraine since the war began in February 2022, British charity Save the Children said in a report on Wednesday. June was the deadliest month for children so far, with 11 children killed and 43 more injured.
Two teachers killed in Russian drone strike on Sumy region: Two teachers were killed and four people were injured when a Shahed drone hit a school in Romny, in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, local authorities said Wednesday. The attack — which destroyed the building — took place around 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET), the Sumy region military administration said in a statement. The bodies of at least two more of the school employees are believed to be under the rubble, Ukrainian police said.
Russia destroyed 13,000 tons of grain in attack on port: A Russian attack on the port of Izmail on the Danube River overnight destroyed 13,000 tons of grain meant for export, according to the Ukrainian Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Oleksandr Kubrakov. The grain was destined to go to Egypt and Romania, he said.