Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Wagner militia, died in a plane crash

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian mercenary chief who in June led a rebellion against the Russian army, was listed as a passenger on a private plane that crashed Wednesday north of Moscow, TASS news agency reported citing Rosaviatsia, the local aviation authority.

«An investigation has been opened into the crash of the Embraer aircraft that occurred tonight in the Tver region. According to the list of passengers, among them is the name and surname of Yevgeny Prigozhin,» Rosaviatsia said.

TASS had reported that 10 people were killed when a private plane crashed in the Tver region. Seven passengers and three crew members were on board the aircraft, which was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

Videos, whose authenticity could not be confirmed by AFP, were circulating on Telegram showing a plane hitting the ground or burning wreckage.

After becoming a front-page figure in Russia for Wagner’s involvement in the Ukrainian war, Prigozhin led a mutiny on June 24 against the Defense Ministry and the General Staff of the regular army.

But that rebellion was broken off that same day, following an agreement that provided for Prigozhin to leave for Belarus and for Wagner’s soldiers to join the regular Russian army.

On Monday night, Prigozhin appeared in a video broadcast by groups close to Wagner in which he claimed to be in Africa.