New Delhi: Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group and a rebel against Russian President Vladimir Putin was killed in a plane accident on Wednesday, according to Russian police. Although there was no mention of a cause for the collision, the announcement led some to believe that Prigozhin had perished.
Putin had called the June uprising "treason," but the mercenary leader seemed to avoid imminent reprisal after reaching an agreement with the Kremlin to leave the country and travel to Belarus. (Also Read: 10 Investment Options To Grow Your Money)
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of the X, reacted to Prigozhin's passing by saying that it took "longer" than he anticipated. He added, "Slight chance this is a psy op." In June, the Wagner commander entered Russia with his troops in order to overthrow Moscow's military authorities. (Also Read: LIC New Jeevan Shanti Plan: Get Up To Rs 1,42,508 Annual Pension - Check Calculator, Premiums, Eligibility Criteria, And More)
The 62-year-old was a passenger on a private aircraft that went down between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The government reported that the initial information indicates that all 10 passengers, including three crew members, perished.
The crash of the MNT-Aero aircraft was to be investigated by a special commission, according to the Russian aviation regulator Rosaviatsia. The investigation into the crash has reportedly been launched by Russia's Investigative Committee.
According to emergency services cited by RIA Novosti, eight dead have so far been discovered at the crash scene.
