A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment concluded the plane was downed Wednesday by an intentional explosion.
The Kremlin on Friday rejected allegations it was behind a plane crash that is presumed to have killed mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose brutal fighters were feared in Ukraine, Africa and Syria and conducted a brief but shocking mutiny in Russia two months ago.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, did not offer any details on what caused the explosion, which was widely believed to be vengeance for the mutiny in June that posed the biggest challenge to Putin’s 23-year rule.SEE MORE: Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin, the man calling for a revolt against Russia?
Britain's Defense Ministry said the presumed death of Prigozhin could destabilize his Wagner Group of private military contractors. The jet crashed Wednesday soon after taking off from Moscow for St. Petersburg, carrying Prigozhin, six other Wagner members, and a crew of three, according to Russia’s civil aviation authority. Rescuers found 10 bodies, and Russian media cited anonymous sources in Wagner who said Prigozhin was dead. But there has been no official confirmation.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov took offense at that. “It is not for the U.S. president, in my opinion, to talk about certain tragic events of this nature,” he said Friday.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Plane crash in Russia kills 10, officials say; Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly on passenger listEarlier this week, Prigozhin appeared in his first video since leading a failed mutiny against Russian commanders in June.
Read more »
Wagner mercenary chief on passenger list of fatal plane crash in RussiaYevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group mercenary army that launched a failed coup in June against Russia’s military establishment, was on the passenger list of a private jet that crashed Wednesday on a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg, Russia, authorities said.
Read more »
Russia's Prigozhin is dead in plane crash, Wagner group confirmsRussian officials say ten people, including Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, were on board the plane that crashed north of the capital Moscow.
Read more »
Latest news: Wagner Group chief Prigozhin plane crash, Russia's war in UkraineWagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board a plane that crashed with no survivors northwest of Moscow, according to Russian authorities, just months after he launched a mutiny against Russia's military leadership. Follow live updates here.
Read more »