Russian Paramilitary Leader Prigozhin Presumed Dead After Suspicious Plane Crash

A plane has crashed in Russia’s Tver region killing all 10 people on board, including three crew members and seven passengers. The crash is making international news because one of the passengers listed on this flight is Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to the Federal Air Transport Agency. Outlets are working to confirm if Prigozhin was in fact on board and therefore deceased.

Prigozhin is a key player in Russian politics. He is the leader of the private paramilitary organization called the Wagner Group. While they initially played a role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Prigozhin led a short-lived rebellion against the Russian military, threatening the power of President Vladimir Putin in June. This was a huge event as uprisings against Putin are not common; the Russian president is notorious for squashing political opponents and/or traitors. Prigozhin’s forces had briefly taken control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Donk, an important city due to its location near the Ukrainian border. He marched towards the Russian capital of Moscow, with the U.K. Ministry of Defense calling these actions the “most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times.”

Putin believed this to be an act of treason, calling Prigozhin’s rebellion a “stab in the back.” Shortly after marching towards Moscow, Prigozhin called off the attack, claiming he wanted to avoid more Russian deaths. But according to the Kremlin, Prigozhin and Putin struck a deal: the former would relocate to Belarus and not be prosecuted. Russia dropped the case against him, but in early July, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said that Prigozhin was in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. So with his whereabouts being questioned, many experts thought his safety was still in jeopardy. 

Investigators are working to confirm the identities of those listed aboard the crashed plane. Circumstances surrounding the crash are also being investigated, including whether missiles were involved, which would help determine if the crash was the result of an intentional takedown. The United States has advanced capabilities where they can identify missiles almost anywhere on earth. 

This is a key development for geopolitics, as Putin’s global influence is still high despite his war in Ukraine lasting longer than many thought it would, and the results haven’t been what many would have assumed. Determining if Putin ordered the takedown of Prigozhin’s plane will help international actors figure out how to move forward on the world stage.

(via ABC News, featured image: Mikhail Svetlov, Getty Images)