Russia aircraft crash: What may have precipitated it and the place was Putin? Here’s what we all know up to now

A non-public jet with 10 individuals on board has crashed in Russia – with the person who led a short-lived mutiny in opposition to the nation’s prime brass on the passenger listing.

There has been uncertainty about whether or not Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin boarded the flight, with studies suggesting that eight our bodies have been discovered on the crash website.

Footage from the scene – about 60 miles north of Moscow – reveals flames leaping from the wreckage. Here’s what we all know up to now.

Wagner boss ‘passenger on crashed plane’ – latest updates

What has occurred?

The non-public Embraer Legacy plane was travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg when it crashed.

Russian authorities mentioned there have been no survivors.

TASS news company reported seven passengers and three crew have been on board the Embraer plane and have been all killed.

Russia’s civil aviation authority mentioned Prigozhin was on the passenger listing, and later added that he was travelling with Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin.

According to Reuters, there are studies they have been attending a gathering with officers from Russia’s defence ministry.

A Telegram channel affiliated with the Wagner Group has mentioned Prigozhin was killed within the aircraft crash. It referred to as him a hero and a patriot who had died by the hands of unidentified individuals described as “traitors to Russia”.

The plane came down close to the village of Kuzhenkino Tver – and unconfirmed studies counsel it belonged to Prigozhin.

Who was on board?

An inventory of these on board has been printed by Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency.

Prigozhin’s safety chief Valeriy Chekalov was additionally mentioned to be on the flight – with the opposite 4 passengers named as Sergey Propustin, Yevgeny Makaryan, Alexander Totmin and Nikolay Matuseev.

Utkin was Prigozhin’s right-hand man – a shadowy determine lined in Nazi tattoos together with a swastika and lightning bolts.

Sky’s Moscow correspondent Diana Magnay says that, if the deaths are confirmed: “That is essentially the top echelons of the Wagner Group taken out in one fell swoop – and it is exactly two months to the day that Prigozhin launched his very short-lived mutiny.”

The crew members on the doomed flight have been named as commander Aleksei Levshin, co-pilot Rustam Karimov and flight attendant Kristina Raspopova.

What may have precipitated the crash?

Our navy analyst Sean Bell mentioned aircraft crashes are historically in unhealthy climate – and situations have been clear on the time.

Referring to footage of the incident, he added: “This aircraft looks as if it’s completely out of control – it’s spiralling down, there are vapour trails coming from it – all of which indicates it’s had some sort of catastrophic failure in the air.”

Magnay says there have been studies of a second aircraft behind the one which crashed that was zig-zagging by the sky.

Security and defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke says the best way the aircraft got here down would not point out there was a bomb on board – but it surely did appear like an plane that had been hit by one thing outdoors that did sufficient harm to wreck the controls.

Flightradar24 says knowledge from the plane reveals it descended sharply about 33 minutes into the flight.

Read extra:
Prigozhin’s apparent death proves no one is indispensable
Putin seems to have destroyed his own creature

Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin?

Once an in depth confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin founded Wagner – a personal navy firm whose fighters have been on the bottom in Ukraine.

But in latest months, Prigozhin had been a vocal critic of Russia’s defence ministry, in addition to prime generals, of their dealing with of the invasion.

He led a short-lived mutiny in opposition to the nation’s prime navy brass in June – and on the time, he was described by Mr Putin as a “traitor”.

The rise up ended when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stepped in to dealer a deal, with Prigozhin agreeing to relocate to Belarus.

What has occurred because the rise up?

Earlier this week, Prigozhin made a video handle for the primary time because the aborted mutiny.

Wearing camouflage and holding a rifle, he seemed to be in Africa – and talked about Russia making the continent “free”.

Prigozhin spoke of how Wagner was tackling terrorist teams within the area, and “making life a nightmare for ISIS and al Qaeda and other bandits”.

His mercenary group has been accused by the UN and different companies of widespread human rights abuses.

Where is Vladimir Putin?

Amid studies that Prigozhin is lifeless, Mr Putin was attending a live performance in Kursk.

The occasion is devoted to the eightieth anniversary of Soviet troops’ victory within the Battle of Kursk.

Soldiers joined the president on stage, with Mr Putin pinning medals on troops.

The Russian president has additionally been taking part within the BRICS summit – showing just about alongside leaders from Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

What has been the response to the aircraft crash?

Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat, informed Sky News that the dying of Prigozhin would profit Mr Putin.

And Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer, mentioned he believed such an incident involving the mercenary chief was “inevitable” following his failed revolt.

Mr Steele claims a contract had been put out on Prigozhin by members of Russia’s enterprise neighborhood in latest weeks.

Sean Bell has mentioned the crash could possibly be a ploy to let the Wagner boss reside peacefully in exile.

“This might have been an engineered story for Prigozhin to slip quietly away and live in exile somewhere, under a wig and with a degree of privacy,” he added.

US President Joe Biden, who’s on vacation in California, has been briefed.

Adrienne Watson, America’s nationwide safety spokesperson, mentioned: “We have seen the reports. If confirmed, no one should be surprised.”

And Alicia Kearns, who chairs the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee, informed Sky News that the velocity at which the Russian authorities confirmed Prigozhin was on the passenger listing “should tell us everything we need to know”.

Reports have prompt that the aircraft was shot down by Russian air defence forces, and the British MP says this means Mr Putin is “sending a very loud message”.

A UK authorities spokesperson mentioned the Foreign Office is “monitoring the situation closely”.

What does this imply for the warfare in Ukraine?

Prof Clarke says that – if Prigozhin is lifeless – it’s going to have a “marginal” impact on the battle, however it’s going to present that Russia is a “gangster state”.

He defined: “It is run in a gangster way from the top, right through the very bottom with corruption down at the lowest possible level.”

The safety and defence analyst expects extra particulars to emerge within the coming hours – and mentioned warning is required.

“It is not obvious he is dead at the moment, he probably is, but there is still some plausible idea this might be some sort of setup,” he added.

The crash has been reported on Russian state tv.