Ten people were on board the plane that crashed with the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, this Wednesday (23), according to the Russian press. There would be seven passengers and three crew.
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed seven names of people who were on the aircraft, citing the carrier operating the vehicle:
- Yevgeny Prigozhin, head and founder of Grupo Wagner;
- Dmitry Utkin, co-founder of the Wagner Group and Prigozhin’s trusted lieutenant;
- Valery Chekalov, Senior Advisor to Prigozhin appointed by the US Treasury for acting “for or on behalf of Prigozhin and facilitating the shipment of munitions to the Russian Federation”;
- Sergey Propustin;
- Evgeny Makaryan;
- Aleksandr Totmin;
- Nikolai Matuseev.
According to Russian state agencies, the 10 crew members died in the crash. Inquiries were opened by the Federal Air Transport Agency and the Investigative Committee of Russia.
Channel linked to the Wagner Group says Prigozhin died
A Telegram channel linked to the private military group Wagner issued a statement saying Prigozhin was killed in the plane crash north of Moscow.
A CNN failed to confirm the claim. Other channels associated with Prigozhin and Wagner, including their official Telegram channel, have not filed a statement so far.
See images of the plane crash that had Prigozhin on the list of occupants
Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin
Prigozhin founded the Wagner Group to be a mercenary group that fights both in eastern Ukraine and in Russian-backed causes around the world.
A CNN tracked down mercenaries in the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Ukraine and Syria. Over the years they have developed a particularly horrific reputation and have been associated with various human rights abuses.
While many regular Russian troops had setbacks on the battlefield, Wagner’s fighters seemed to be the only ones capable of making tangible progress.
Known for disregarding the lives of its own soldiers, the Wagner group’s brutal and often illegal tactics are believed to have resulted in countless casualties, as new recruits are sent into battle with little formal training.
The process is described by retired US Lieutenant General Mark Hertling as “like feeding meat through a meat grinder”.
Prigozhin used social networks to make lobby for what it wants and has often rivaled Russia’s military leadership, presenting itself as competent and ruthless in contrast to the military establishment.
*published by Tiago Tortella, from CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
