New Delhi: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was feared killed in a plane crash in Russia, Ria Novosti reported. Russian emergency services found eight bodies at site of the crash.
According to Russian media, while the Wagner chief was on the list of passengers on board the flight, it could not be determined if he was among the dead.
"The plane that crashed in the Tver Region listed Yevgeny Prigozhin among its passengers, (Russia's aviation agency) Rosaviatsia said," TASS news agency reported. RIA Novosti and Interfax also reported the same.
"There were 10 people on board, including 3 crew members. According to preliminary information, all those on board died," Russia's ministry for emergency situation said.
Notably, Prigozhin had a raised a flag of rebellion against Russian President Vladimir Putin and ventured to Moscow with his band of armed loyalists a few months back. However, his attempted rebellion was cut short after a deal was reached with Kremlin.
As part of the deal that Kremlin brokered with the mercenary and private military operator, Prigozhin was to dial down his rhetoric against President Putin and go into exile in Belarus.
Prigozhin, a 61-year-old former convict, had denied having any connections with the military group Wagner until September last year when he announced he was “proud” to be its founder, as per a report by Independent.
Prigozhin was popularly known as “Putin’s chef” as his catering business earlier hosted dinners for the Russian president and fed the Kremlin’s armed forces.
According to reports, the Wagner chief rose to being the top military operator in the world due to his alleged closeness to the President Vladimir Putin and his company was involved in the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
After raising the spectre of a mutiny, the Wagner boss later issued a statement claiming that his revolt was not so much against Putin as it was against members of Russia’s ruling elite.