Russian officials say that Prigozhin was a passenger on the jet that crashed
The death sentence of Prigozhin, the attacker of the Kiev mutiny and the first public demonstration against Putin’s rule
As is often the case with atrocities in Russia, the assassination of a rival was likely the cause of the plane crash. That may never be proved; Mr. Putin may choose to posthumously honor Mr. Prigozhin as a patriot, or at least to blame his death on his pet villains, Ukrainian “fascists” and a deceitful and degenerate West. But for now, most observers believe the evidence, motive and means point to Mr. Putin.
In the brutal logic of dictatorial rule, Mr. Putin would have had no choice. Though Mr. Prigozhin was careful to display total fealty to the president even when he ordered his forces on a “march for justice” in June, it was an open rebellion against Mr. Putin’s rule, and the president’s first public reaction was to warn — without naming Mr. Prigozhin — that those who prepared the mutiny “have betrayed Russia.” That is a death sentence according to Mr. Putin. He’s from Russia.
Flight tracking data reviewed by The Associated Press showed a private jet registered to Wagner that Prigozhin had used previously took off from Moscow on Wednesday evening and its transponder signal disappeared minutes later.
A partial tail number matching a private jet was seen in an image posted by a pro-Wagner social media account. The color and placement of the number on the engine is similar to previous photos of the jet examined by The AP.
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As the news about the crash was breaking, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at an event commemorating the Battle of Kursk, hailing the heroes of Russia’s “the special military operation” in Ukraine.
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The Prigozhin-Russia Airplane Accident, and More Drones Over Russia’s Kaluga and Bryansk Regions
Russians have always had a penchant for rumor and conspiracies, underpinned by the presumption that official news is deeply doctored by the Kremlin. Within hours of reports of a plane crash with a notorious passenger listed as a passenger, there was speculation that spread like wildfire. Perhaps he was not on the plane and had staged his death to disappear. Or maybe President Vladimir Putin now had Mr. Prigozhin in a secret dungeon. Or the Ukrainians on whom he unleashed his mercenaries blew the plane up.
Russia’s aviation authority offered no comment on the reason for the crash and said that it had created a special commission to investigate “the circumstances and causes of the accident.”
The Legacy 600 business jet has been without support since the beginning of the year because of the sanctions. Maintenance is often the focus of support. It can include data monitoring, but it is unknown whether that was the case with this jet.
The remains of the 10 people on board the plane have been found, according to Russia’s Emergency Services.
Russia said Ukraine launched more drones into its territory overnight, all three of which it said it shot down. Two were intercepted over the Bryansk region, which shares a border with Ukraine, and one over the Kaluga region, which is closer to Moscow, Russia’s defense ministry said. Russia’s statement has not been independently verified. In recent days, drones have reached Moscow and disrupted air traffic around the capital.
