A new tragedy strikes the world of private security in Russia, with the presumed death of Evgueni Prigogine, the famous boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner. A plane carrying 10 people, including Prigogine himself, crashed on Wednesday August 23 in Russia, leaving no survivors. Russian news agencies, quoted by several Western media, confirmed the presence of Prigogine on the passenger list of this plane.
According to information provided by the Ria Novosti, TASS and Interfax agencies, which refer to the Russian air transport agency Rossaviatsia, the flight was to connect Moscow to St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, this Embraer Legacy private plane crashed near the village of Kujenkino in the Tver region, northwest of Moscow.
The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry has confirmed that all ten people on board, including the three crew members, lost their lives in the tragic accident. Search operations are currently underway to recover the wreckage of the aircraft and investigate the causes of the accident.
Videos circulating on social networks, the authenticity of which has not yet been confirmed by AFP, show burning debris in a field as well as the device falling from the sky. These images bear witness to the violence of the impact and underline the seriousness of the situation.
Yevgeny Prigogine was a controversial figure in Russia, known for his role as boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner. This group is often associated with unofficial military operations, notably in Ukraine and Syria. Prigogine had recently made a name for himself by organizing a rebellion against the Russian general staff and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
This tragedy raises many questions about the future of the Wagner Group and the impact that the loss of Prigogine could have on its activities. The Russian authorities will undoubtedly come under increased pressure to investigate the circumstances of the accident and to take action to prevent such incidents in the future.
The alleged death of Yevgueni Prigogine, Wagner’s boss, in this tragic plane crash in Russia leaves a void in the world of Russian private security. Ongoing investigations will have to determine the exact causes of the accident, while the consequences of this loss will certainly be felt in the months to come.
