Video has emerged exhibiting the second a airplane - which had mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin on board - was seen plummeting in direction of the bottom.
In the footage, the plane spirals out of the sky in direction of the bottom, adopted by a path of smoke.
The non-public jet, which initially is at excessive altitude, seems to be completely uncontrolled and goes right into a vertical dive simply earlier than it apparently smashes right into a discipline.
A plume of thick black smoke rises from the crash scene seconds later.
The climate seems to be positive on the time, with just some clouds within the sky.
Another video exhibits an plane fuselage on the bottom in flames.
The Russian Civil Aviation Authority confirmed Prigozhin, who was head of the Wagner Group, and Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin had been on board.
Russian plane crash - follow live updates
Earlier, it stated Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on the private jet.
The airplane, carrying three pilots and 7 passengers, got here down north of Moscow and was travelling from the capital to St Petersburg.
TASS news company reported 10 folks had been on board, whereas Russian state news company RIA later reported eight our bodies had been found on the crash web site, citing emergency providers.
There had been no survivors, in response to Russian authorities.
Flight monitoring knowledge confirmed a non-public jet, registered to Wagner and which Prigozhin had beforehand used, took off from Moscow on Wednesday night and its transponder sign disappeared minutes later.
The sign was misplaced in a rural area with no close by airfields the place the plane may have landed safely.
Read extra: Profile of Yevgeny Prigozhin
On Monday, Prigozhin shared his first video address since his aborted June mutiny.
The mercenary chief - who was despatched to Belarus within the aftermath of his forces' march on Moscow - launched footage of himself talking whereas carrying camouflage and holding a rifle.
It is believed from the footage that Prigozhin on the time was in Africa. In the video, he talked about Russia making the continent "free".
Prigozhin additionally described how Wagner was tackling terrorist teams within the area and added the group wished to extend its presence in Africa.
He later shared particulars about Wagner's recruitment within the video, which was accompanied by a phone quantity for many who wish to be part of.
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