Late on Wednesday afternoon, the news broke that the private plane of the head of the Wagner mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, crashed in Kujenkino (Tver), north of Moscow, the same day that the Kremlin fired General Surovikin. , who was linked to his rebellion, according to the Russian agency TASS.
A few hours later, the Russian civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia confirmed that the name of the Russian soldier and businessman appeared on the list of the ten people killed in the fatal accident and that, therefore, he was traveling on the Embraer ERJ-135 Legacy plane that was carrying seven passengers and three crew. Although the bodies are completely charred and a DNA test will probably be necessary to confirm their identity.
But what happened to the plane? At the moment, the causes of the accident are unknown, although some media and Telegram channels are considering various versions and this is how international agencies collect it. From a bomb attack ordered by the Kremlin to a missile from the Russian anti-aircraft defense or an attack by enemy drones. “Prigozhin would have died as a result of the actions of traitors to Russia,” says Gray Zone -close to Wagner- in a clear allusion to the Russian secret services. Meanwhile, the Russian authorities are studying three versions: a piloting failure, a technical problem or an external intervention.
For her part, Rosaviatsia stressed that the plane had all the permits in order and was making its flight after receiving official authorization for the use of airspace in due course.
A neighbor had time to take out his mobile phone and record the moment of the plane crash. The video went viral in a few hours. The images show how the device unexpectedly falls to the ground in a field, not far from some houses, after which a strong explosion occurs. Although several eyewitnesses claim to have heard two explosions and that the plane exploded in midair. Faced with these theories, which are gaining strength on social networks, the Russian investigation committee launched a criminal investigation into the cause of the accident, according to the RIA Nóvosti agency.
The Embraer ERJ-135 Legacy is a twin-engine aircraft, designed to travel short distances and can carry between 16 and 37 passengers. Acquiring it can cost about 14 million euros and the average rental price is around 10 thousand euros each way. The Brazilian company began to market these models in 1999.
Regarding the reaction of the international community. The president of the USA. Joe Biden, assured last night “not being surprised” by the accident of the plane where Prigozhin was traveling “I have no specific information about what has happened, but I am not surprised,” Biden said in statements to the press , who also took the opportunity to mention the Russian president. “There is not much that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind,” added the US leader.
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office, was more direct and assured last night that Putin “does not forgive anyone” and that Prigozhin “signed his death warrant” after the armed rebellion against the Kremlin last June.
