The chief of Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died after a plane that was carrying him and others crashed while on the way to St Petersburg from Moscow, Russian news media reported.
The plane was carrying 10 people, including three crew members, and it has been reported that all on board have died, Russia’s emergency ministry said, according to state newswire RIA Novost
“There were ten people on board, including three crew members. According to preliminary information, all on board were killed,” the department said.
The plane is said to have crashed in the Tver region, north of Moscow.
The Federal Agency for Air Transport of Russia has said that it has initiated a probe of the plane crash and added that the name Yevgeny Prigozhin was included in the list of passengers of the crashed flight.
“An investigation of the Embraer plane crash that happened in the Tver Region this evening was initiated. According to the passenger list, first and last name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was included in this list,” the agency noted.