A Chilling Dive Moments Before Fatal Crash Fuels Speculation on Wagner Chief’s Demise
The private plane belonging to Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, experienced an unexpected and deadly plunge in Russia. Initial investigations indicate that there were no prior signs of distress until the aircraft suddenly dropped, around 30 seconds before the crash. This incident has triggered discussions about the possibility of foul play, with some suggesting that the plane might have been targeted by a bomb concealed within a crate of wine.
The Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet was carrying Prigozhin and other high-ranking members of the Wagner Group among its 10 passengers. According to Ian Petchenik from the flight-tracking site Flightradar24, there were no indications of trouble during the earlier part of the flight on Wednesday. However, at 5:19 p.m. local time, the plane experienced a sudden vertical drop and descended more than 8,000 feet from its cruising altitude of 28,000 feet in about 30 seconds.
Video footage captured the dramatic moment when the plane’s nose pointed almost straight downward, leaving a trail of smoke or vapor behind it. Flightradar24 received the final data from the jet at 5:20 p.m., just before it crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver region, while en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Although the Embraer jet model has maintained a strong safety record over the years, with only one recorded accident in more than two decades of service, the Brazilian plane manufacturer stated that it had ceased providing support services for Prigozhin’s jet in 2019 due to compliance with US sanctions against him.
The crash has given rise to various theories about its cause and whether Prigozhin was targeted. Less than two months prior, Prigozhin had been labeled a “traitor” by Russian President Vladimir Putin for leading a brief mutiny against senior military figures. Among the speculations circulating on Russian social media is the idea that a bomb concealed within a crate of wine might have been planted on board the plane, as reported by the Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, which has ties to Russian security services.
Further fueling the speculation, the same source reported that the flight attendant, Kristina Raspopova, had reportedly mentioned an “important phone call” the crew was awaiting before their departure from Moscow. Additionally, the outlet SHOT stated that investigators are exploring the possibility of an explosive being planted in the plane’s landing gear.
As investigations unfold, various entities and individuals have been suggested as potential culprits, including Russia’s FSB domestic
intelligence agency and even Russian air defense systems. This tragic event has prompted debates on the motivations behind it and the potential impacts on Russian politics and power dynamics.
Source: New York Post
