In a devastating incident, a business jet traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed on Wednesday, resulting in the loss of all 10 individuals aboard, according to Russian emergency authorities. Among the passengers listed was Yevgeny Prigozhin, a prominent mercenary leader, although it remains uncertain whether he was among those on the ill-fated flight.

Unconfirmed reports from various media outlets suggest that the jet might have been owned by Prigozhin, who is renowned for founding the Wagner private military company.

Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civilian aviation regulatory body, acknowledged that Prigozhin was indeed included on the passenger list. However, the exact status of his presence onboard is yet to be confirmed.

Tass, the state news agency of Russia, cited emergency officials as they disclosed that the plane carried a total of three pilots and seven passengers. Authorities are currently engaged in an investigation into the crash, which occurred in the Tver region, situated over 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Moscow.

Prigozhin recently gained attention due to his private military group, Wagner, which collaborated with the regular Russian army during the conflict in Ukraine. He was involved in a brief armed uprising against Russia’s military leadership in late June. Following this, the Kremlin announced his exile to Belarus, specifying that his followers would have the choice to retire, accompany him to Belarus, or join the Russian military.

Source: AP