By Agencies
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list of a plane that crashed in Russia’s Tver region on Wednesday, according to the press service of the Federal Air Transport Agency.
Ten people were killed in the crash, but it is not yet clear whether he was actually on board the plane on Wednesday, reports said.
Prigozhin, who is believed to have been on board the flight, shared his first video address since his aborted June mutiny just two days ago.
The Wagner Group boss – who was sent to Belarus in the aftermath of his march on Moscow – released footage of himself speaking while wearing camouflage and holding a rifle.
Prigozhin appeared to be in Africa in the video, and he also spoke about Russia making the continent “free”.
He called off the mutiny and his mercenaries pulled back after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko helped broker a “deal”, which would supposedly see the businessman move to the Russian-allied country and his forces absorbed into the military.
Once a close confidant of Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin had often lambasted the likes of defence minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov in public addresses over their handling of the Ukraine invasion.
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