8 months ago
100 A presumption of tract aft a backstage jet, allegedly carrying Wagner caput Yevgeny Prigozhin and different passengers crashed successful Russia's northwestern Tver region, Russia connected August 23, 2023.
Wagner Telegram Account | Handout | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The main of the Wagner Russian mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is believed to person been killed successful a level crash, Russian authorities media reported Wednesday.
The aircraft, a concern jet, crashed successful the Tver portion northwest of Moscow, starring to the deaths of each 10 radical onboard, according to Russian authorities.
While Russian officials said that Prigozhin was connected the rider list, it was not instantly wide if helium was successful the aircraft.
"An probe of the Embraer level clang that happened successful the Tver Region this evening was initiated. According to the rider list, archetypal and past sanction of Yevgeny Prigozhin was included successful this list," Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport said successful a statement.
The level was flying from Sheremetyevo International Airport successful Moscow to St. Petersburg, the bureau said, according to a Google translation.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Services wrote connected its Telegram account: "In the Tver region, adjacent the colony of Kuzhenkino, a backstage Embraer Legacy craft crashed portion flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg. There were 10 radical connected board, including 3 unit members."
"According to preliminary information, each connected committee were killed. EMERCOM of Russia is conducting hunt operations," the station read, according to a Google translation.
A surface drawback captured from a video shared online shows Yevgeny Prigozhin, the laminitis of the Russian backstage information institution Wagner, holding a firearm successful a godforsaken country portion wearing camouflage successful a video for the archetypal clip aft his rebellion against the Russian medication successful an unspecified determination successful Africa connected August 21, 2023. In the footage shared connected the Telegram transmission 'Wagner's evacuation', Prigozhin stated that they person made Russia 'even greater' connected each continents, including Africa.
Wagner Account | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Biden briefed connected processing situation
U.S. President Joe Biden has been briefed connected the situation, a White House spokesperson told NBC.
National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said that, if confirmed, Prigozhin's decease should travel arsenic nary surprise.
"We person seen the reports. If confirmed, nary 1 should beryllium surprised," Watson said. "The disastrous warfare successful Ukraine led to a backstage service marching connected Moscow, and present — it would look — to this."
FILE - Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, shows Russian President Vladimir Putin, astir his mill which produces schoolhouse meals, extracurricular St. Petersburg, Russia connected Monday, Sept. 20, 2010.
Alexei Druzhinin | AP
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken besides commented connected the processing situation.
"The information that Prigozhin made a nonstop situation to Putin's authority, the information that helium questioned publically the precise premises that Putin has precocious for the aggression against Ukraine – that's playing retired and volition proceed to play out," Blinken told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell connected Wednesday erstwhile asked astir the incident.
"We've seen the ongoing drama, too, of wherever is Prigozhin, what is the statement with Putin?" helium added. "If I were Mr. Prigozhin, I would stay precise concerned. NATO has an 'Open Door' policy; Russia has an unfastened windows policy, and helium needs to beryllium precise focused connected that."
The "open windows policy" was a tongue-in-cheek notation to the information that galore salient Russian officials and businessmen who fell retired of favour with Putin died by what section authorities described arsenic falling retired of windows oregon disconnected of balconies.
Reappearing successful Africa?
Prigozhin effectively disappeared from nationalist beingness after the failed mutiny. But conscionable connected Monday, Aug. 21, the mercenary person appeared successful a video published by Wagner-affiliated channels connected Telegram, which suggested the footage was filmed successful Africa. It was believed to beryllium Prigozhin's archetypal video code since the coup attempt.
In the clip, the Wagner person is holding a firearm and lasting against a godforsaken backdrop. The camera concisely pans to different equipped men successful a pickup truck.
"We are working. The somesthesia is positive 50 [Celsius]. Everything's the mode we similar it. PMC Wagner is conducting reconnaissance, making Russia adjacent greater connected each continent – and Africa adjacent freer," Prigozhin said, according to a NBC News translation.
"Justice and happiness for the African nations," helium said. "We are messing with ISIS, Al-Qaeda and different banditos. We prosecute existent supermen and proceed moving connected tasks that were acceptable to america and we promised to transportation out."
NBC News was not capable to verify the video's authenticity, arsenic good arsenic erstwhile oregon wherever it was shot.
Wagner has operated successful parts of Africa including Mali, the Central African Republic and Libya.
