A former member of the infamous Russian Wagner group and one-time assistant to Yevgheny Prigozhin has informed Sky News he has been informed his former boss is certainly useless.

Marat Gabadullin lives in exile now having left the Wagner community and writes books about his expertise in its ranks.

"As of now, the information is that he has died," he informed Sky News. "My sources also confirm this information."

Wagner is a shady community of mercenaries, deal makers, ex troopers and gangsters. It presents itself as a personal mercenary company, however is in actuality a department of the Russian authorities, stored at arms size, distant sufficient to permit the Kremlin to disown its nefarious actions.

Now it appears not less than three of its most senior figures are useless, incinerated in a aircraft crash being blamed on their former patron, Vladimir Putin.

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Many questions stay unanswered, not least why so many have been travelling collectively in the identical aircraft.

Marat Gabadullin says it goes in opposition to all of Wagner's security procedures.

"This surprised me, why they did not follow a certain security protocol, why two top people were flying together. Yes, I was surprised."

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Russian authorities say on the passenger list have been Yevgheny Prigozhin, but in addition his alarming trying deputy, neo nazi Dmitry Utkin and the person accountable for Wagner's funds Valeriy Chekalov.

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The Wagner community is being neutered by the Kremlin and Russian army intelligence, dismantling its affect and enterprise not least in Africa, its most profitable territory.

But the organisation is extra more likely to mutate and morph beneath a special title maybe than to vanish, however as soon as once more compliant to Vladimir Putin's will.