Wagner founder Prigozhin killed in plane crash near Tver
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
A private Embraer Legacy 600 carrying Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin crashed near Kuzhenkino in Russia's Tver region on August 23, 2023, killing all ten people aboard. Russia's aviation agency Rosaviatsia confirmed Prigozhin was on the passenger list. The crash came two months after Prigozhin led a brief mutiny against Russia's military leadership.
Key Facts
- The Embraer Legacy 600 crashed near Kuzhenkino in Russia's Tver region on the night of August 23, 2023, killing all ten people aboard.
- Rosaviatsia confirmed that Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list of the crashed aircraft.
- Also killed were Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin's aide Valery Chekalov, and four other Wagner-linked individuals.
- President Vladimir Putin first commented on Prigozhin's death a month after the crash, calling him a 'talented person and businessman' with a 'complicated fate'.
- The Grey Zone Telegram channel, linked to Wagner, claimed the plane was shot down by an air defense system.
The Crash
The Embraer Legacy 600 went down near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Bologovsky district of Tver region on the night of August 23, 2023. All ten people on board were killed, including Prigozhin, Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin's aide Valery Chekalov, and four other individuals linked to the group. The aircraft was flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg when it crashed. Rosaviatsia confirmed that Prigozhin was on the passenger list, and various sources reported he had previously used the same aircraft.
Putin's Response
Shortly after the crash, Putin attended a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk, where he awarded the title of Hero of Russia to servicemen. Putin first spoke about Prigozhin's death a month later during a Kremlin meeting with Denis Pushilin, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. Putin acknowledged that the victims included employees of a private military company that had made a 'significant contribution' to Russia's war against Ukraine. He described Prigozhin as a 'talented person and businessman' with a 'complicated fate' who had made serious mistakes but also achieved necessary results.
Cause of Crash
Witnesses reported seeing the plane explode in the air before it fell. The Grey Zone Telegram channel, which is close to Wagner, wrote that Prigozhin's plane was shot down by an air defense system. A source cited by the Mash Telegram channel said witnesses heard two loud noises before the crash, suggesting an external strike on the aircraft.
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Wagner founder Prigozhin killed in plane crash near Tver
