Two months after leading a mutiny 200 kilometers from Moscow, the leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed in the crash of a private jet on the outskirts of the Russian capital yesterday. There were six more passengers on board, including the commander of the mercenaries Dmitry Utkin, and three crew members. There were no survivors. Russia is investigating the incident involving President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally who has become one of his greatest enemies.
A Telegram channel linked to the mercenaries, Gray Zone, confirmed the death of 62-year-old Prigozhin, whom he called a “hero” and a “true patriot.” It said that the leader of the Wagner group had died “as a result of the actions of traitors to Russia”, without further explanation, only adding: “But even in hell he will be the best!” Last night, the cause of the accident was still unknown, but a video shared on social media showed a plane crashing, leaving a trail of smoke. Only eight of the ten bodies had been recovered (but not identified).
PRIGOZHIN PLANE EXPLODED
A plane allegedly owned by Wagner leader Prigozhin partially exploded in mid-air before crashing near the Tver region. pic.twitter.com/zoMIFw5AJn
—Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) August 23, 2023
Putin was at an event in the Kursk region marking the 80th anniversary of one of the most important battles of World War II between the Soviets and the Nazis when the plane crashed. Prigozhin’s presence on board was confirmed by the Russian aviation agency, which had initially reported that he was on the passenger list.
The Ukrainians, like the Wagner group, did not hesitate to point the finger at Moscow. “The demonstrative elimination of Prigozhin and the Wagner command two months after the coup attempt is a signal from Putin to the Russian elites ahead of the 2024 elections. Infidelity equals death,” (renamed X) Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on Twitter. Prior to the official confirmation of the death, a spokeswoman for the US National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, said “no one should be surprised” if it was confirmed. “I don’t know what happened, but it doesn’t surprise me,” said US President Joe Biden.
ALERT – 10 morts, don’t let Wagner’s patron Evgueni Prigojine fly in a plane in Moscow (Tass). #prigozhin pic.twitter.com/5XINbqvyCD
– Info Françaises (@InfosFrancaises) August 23, 2023
The private jet (an Embraer 135) was making the connection between Moscow and St. Petersburg, Prigozhin’s base, when it crashed west of Moscow, in the Tver region. The leader of the Wagner group, who revealed a video early this week saying he was in Africa, is said to have returned to Russia yesterday.
After the failed uprising, Prigozhin is said to have reached an agreement with Putin – who called him a traitor – for an exile to Belarus, along with his men who did not want to join the Russian army. But Prigozhin did not stay long in Alexander Lukashenko’s country, and there are reports of continued travels between Moscow and St. Petersburg. After leaving Ukraine, where his men played a vital role in the capture of Bakhmut (one of the longest battles of the war) and before that Soledar, he wanted to focus on Africa.
Independence Day and 18 Months of War
Prigozhin’s death comes on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, a date that coincides with the eighteen months since the Russian invasion. To mark the date, the wreckage of Russian armored vehicles is displayed on Kiev’s central avenue, to show Moscow’s losses, but on the front, the Ukrainian counter-offensive is progressing slowly. Ukraine’s head of diplomacy Dmitro Kuleba told AFP Ukraine’s determination remains intact “no matter how long it takes” to win.
In anticipation of the Allies-supplied F-16 fighters, which are not due to arrive until next year, Ukraine has been gathering tanks, weapons, ammunition and support for a spring counter-offensive that finally began in June and has so far failed to fulfill what was desired. Meanwhile, the Moscow forces reinforced their defenses, including minefields, making the Ukrainian advance more difficult. What seemed easy is using drones, both airborne and seaborne, to hit Russian targets, including in the capital.
There is no official military casualty toll, while Kiev and Moscow opt for silence. However, according to US authorities, this number will be close to half a million – between dead and wounded on both sides. According to the New York Times, an estimated 70,000 Ukrainian and 120,000 Russian soldiers have already been killed, with more Moscow troops still on the scene. However, in an interview with RTP, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov dismissed the number of casualties in his country, saying it was much lower than above.
Source: DN
