Wagner Group Chief Prigozhin Dead In Plane Crash Near Moscow – Reports - The Aviationist

Wagner Group Chief Prigozhin Dead In Plane Crash Near Moscow – Reports – The Aviationist

Time Stamp: August 23, 2023 2:32 PM
Source Node: 2841472
Prigozhin jet
The crash site and some screencaps from social medias showing Prigozhin, the jet falling from the sky and the aircraft track online.

Prigozhin’s Embraer Legacy 600 jet was flying from Moscow to Saint Petersburg, when it crashed during the climb in the Tver region, north of Moscow.

The Embraer Legacy 600 private jet belonging to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the boss of the Wagner Private Military Company that attempted a coup against Putin, crashed just crashed near Moscow. The aircraft, which was also visible on FlightRadar24 with the registration RA-02795, was climbing over the Tver region while enroute from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. The jet was seen falling from the sky almost vertically engulfed in smoke and, apparently, without a wing.

The Russian Civil Aviation Authority said that Prigozhin was among the ten people on board, according to the flight manifest that mentioned seven passengers and three crewmembers. Among the passengers there was also Prigozhin’s right-hand man, Dmytro Utkin. Russian officials said they will open an investigation.

Russian Telegram Channel Grey Zone, linked to Wagner, says that the jet was shot down by the Russian Air Defenses. Locals residents claimed they’d heard “two large explosions” before the het plummeted from the sky. Some reports mention that so far only four bodies have been found at the crash site, leading to many hypotheses.

We will update this story as more details become available.

About Stefano D’Urso
Stefano D’Urso is a freelance journalist and contributor to TheAviationist based in Lecce, Italy. A graduate in Industral Engineering he’s also studying to achieve a Master Degree in Aerospace Engineering. Electronic Warfare, Loitering Munitions and OSINT techniques applied to the world of military operations and current conflicts are among his areas of expertise.

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