Prigozhin, Putin’s Closest Aide, Dies in Mysterious Plane Crash
PARIS – In a shocking turn of events, Yevgeny Prigozhin, formerly known as Putin’s cook and his closest aide, was killed in a tragic plane crash two months ago. The crash, which occurred in the Tver region of western Russia, claimed the lives of all 10 individuals on board.
Eyewitnesses recount the horrifying scene as a plume of smoke enveloped the sky, and the aircraft descended rapidly, crashing with a devastating impact. The crash site was littered with debris from the plane’s engine and wing, all consumed by the flames.
The passenger manifest revealed that Prigozhin, the head of the notorious Russian mercenary company Wagner Group, was among the victims. Reports from the Wagner Group’s pro-social media channel confirmed Prigozhin’s untimely demise, alleging that the plane had been shot down by Russian air defenses.
Prigozhin had been en route to St. Petersburg after a meeting with the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow. His co-founder in the Wagner Group, Dmitry Utkin, was also onboard the ill-fated aircraft.
Once a humble restaurant owner, Prigozhin’s connection with Putin propelled him to great heights. He held significant influence within the Kremlin Palace and even established the Wagner Group, becoming one of Putin’s most trusted associates. Notably, Prigozhin played a prominent role in the Ukraine invasion but fell out of favor with the Russian army, leading to an armed rebellion last year.
While the cause of the crash remains unknown, President Putin has labeled Prigozhin a traitor, vowing a stern response. Concerns over his safety, previously raised after his fallout with Putin, have now turned into a grim reality, prompting global attention.
As investigations into the crash continue, the world mourns the loss of a man whose life took a remarkable trajectory from working in a kitchen to influencing the corridors of power. The full extent of Prigozhin’s legacy and his involvement in Russian affairs still remains shrouded in mystery.
Reported by Son Ryeong for MBC News in Paris.
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Two months earlier, Prigozhin had been killed in an armed uprising in Russia.
The small plane they were riding in crashed, and it was claimed that it had been shot down by Russian forces.
Prigogine, once known as Putin’s cook, was his closest aide.
Concerns about personal safety, raised since the retreat from Moscow, eventually became a reality.
Reporter Son Ryeong reports from Paris.
◀ Report ▶
A tall, tall object plummets from the sky in a plume of smoke.
At the crash site, pieces of the plane’s engine and wing were smashed and engulfed in flames.
[목격자]
“I think he’s dead too? The first one is completely disfigured.”
At approximately 6:30pm local time on the 23rd, a 13-seater passenger plane crashed in the Tver region of western Russia, killing all 10 people on board.
The list of passengers also included Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary company.
[로시야-24 뉴스 (러시아 국영방송)]
“Yevgeny Prigozhin is on the list of passengers on the plane that crashed in Tver.”
The pro-Wagner social media channel also officially confirmed Prigozhin’s death, claiming that the plane was shot down by Russian air defenses.
After meeting with the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow, Prigozhin was on his way to St. Petersburg when the plane crashed 30 minutes after take off.
Dmitry Utkin, co-founder of the Wagner Group, was also on board.
Prigogine became the owner of a small restaurant, and after making a relationship with Putin in his youth, he took charge of events in the Kremlin Palace and even founded the Wagner Group, a mercenary company, and became Putin’s closest tycoon.
He also contributed greatly to the invasion of the Ukraine, but suffered a conflict with the Russian army and caused an armed rebellion last June.
He was promised security by stopping his advance on Moscow, but effectively broke with Putin.
The cause of the plane crash is not yet known.
However, President Putin singled out Prigozhin as a traitor and predicted a harsh response, and concerns about Prigozhin’s personal safety, raised since then, became a reality as a public event deserving attention from people around the world.
This is Son Ryeong from MBC News in Paris.
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