Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day today. Here's the latest headlines from the war
From CNN staff
Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day Thursday, exactly 18 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its former Soviet neighbor
August 24 marks the 32nd anniversary of when Ukraine declared it would break with the Soviet Union in 1991.
Before Russia's invasion, the day was marked by celebrations and parades but last year, it was darkened by a missile strike on an eastern Ukrainian train station that killed at least 22 people.
Here are the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine:
Belgorod attacks: Three people were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's southwestern Belgorod region Wednesday, its governor said. Drone attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in the border province, which is located just 80 kilometers from Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region.
Child deaths: Some 541 children have been killed in Ukraine since the war began in February 2022, British charity Save the Children said in a report Wednesday. This June was the deadliest month for children so far, with 11 children killed and 43 more injured.
Sumy strike: Two teachers were killed and four people injured when a Shahed drone hit a school in Romny, in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, local authorities said Wednesday. The bodies of at least two more school employees are believed to be under the rubble, Ukrainian police said.
Grain destroyed: A Russian attack on the port of Izmail on the Danube River destroyed 13,000 tons of grain meant for export, according to the Ukrainian Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Oleksandr Kubrakov. The grain was destined for Egypt and Romania, he said.
EU leaders in Kyiv: UkrainianPresident Volodymyr Zelensky is hosting leaders from Portugal, Lithuania and Finland in Kyiv this week after returning from his own tour of European nations. During the trip, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Finland’s “strong and unwavering support to Ukraine” is set to continue. Helsinki has supplied Kyiv with 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) worth of aid, 1.2 billion of which were in defense packages, a Finnish statement said.
Ukraine claims hit: The Ukrainian military said that it had destroyed a Russian S-400 missile system in Russian-occupied Crimea on Wednesday. The explosion “completely destroyed” the long- and medium-range S-400 Triumph missile system, as well as its missiles and personnel, according to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence.
Russia bombs kindergarten: Six people were injured after Russian forces dropped guided bombs on a kindergarten and residential buildings in Ukraine's southern Kherson city, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday.
Jailed Russian general linked to "Putin's Palace" dies suddenly, state media reports
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
An imprisoned former general with Russia's security services who reportedly had knowledge of the construction of President Vladimir Putin's Black Sea residence has died in custody, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.
Gen. Gennady Lopyrev — who was convicted of bribery offenses in 2017 and was serving more than nine years at correctional colony No. 3 in the central Ryazan region — "suddenly fell ill" and was sent to a local hospital where he died on August 16, RIA reported.
According to state news agency TASS, Lopyrev was convicted of taking bribes “in the total amount of about 7 million rubles (about $74,000).”
Lopyrev was also convicted of illegal possession of pistols and ammunition, RIA said, although those convictions were overturned on appeal.
The general had always maintained his innocence of all charges.
Citing Lopyrev's lawyer Ruslan Zakalyuzhny, Russian news outlet RBC reported at the time of the trial that the court found Lopyrev guilty of “financial fraud related to the signing of contracts for the repair of engineering communications" of Putin’s summer residence, Bocharov Ruchey, in Sochi.
Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) called Lopyrev’s death “suspicious” and said its “insider source claimed Lopyrev was 'the keeper of secrets' related to the construction of President Putin’s Black Sea residence in Gelendzhik, often referred to as 'Putin’s Palace'.”
32 min ago
Russian officials release names of crew who died in plane crash
From CNN's Jonny Hallam
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency on Wednesday released the names of two pilots and one flight attendant who were on board Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's private jet when it crashed, killing all on board.
Citing the airline, the agency gave the names of the lost crew as:
Captain Aleksei Levshin
Co-Pilot Rustam Karimov
Flight Attendant Kristina Raspopova
Ten people were on board the aircraft, Russian state media has reported.
Earlier, the Federal Air Transport Agency shared the names of the passengers it said were on board, in addition to Prigozhin. They were named as:
Sergey Propustin
Evgeniy Makaryan
Aleksandr Totmin
Valeriy Chekalov, a senior aide to Prigozhin designated by the US Treasury for acting "for or on behalf of Prigozhin and has facilitated shipments of munitions to the Russian Federation"
Dmitriy Utkin, a trusted lieutenant of Prigozhin's since the beginning of the Wagner Group
Nikolay Matuseev
Russian state media said earlier that eight bodies have been found at the crash site.
42 min ago
It's morning in Moscow, where officials say they are investigating the fatal plane crash. Here's the latest
All on board were killed, according to preliminary information, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Services said.
The crash comes two months after Prigozhin launched a mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. The attempted rebellion was called off in a deal that required Prigozhin and his fighters to relocate to Belarus.
Here's what you need to know about the crash:
Prigozhin on flight manifest: The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said Prigozhin was among the people on board the plane that crashed in the western Tver region. A Telegram channel linked to the Wagner private military group also issued a statement saying Prigozhin has been killed. The channel has previously carried Wagner propaganda videos, and Prigozhin's official press service has linked to it in the past. CNN is unable to confirm the assertion. Other channels associated with Prigozhin and Wagner, including his official Telegram channel, have remained silent.
Engine debris: Video of plane engine debris taken at the purported crash site matches a plane registered to Prigozhin. In the video, the last four digits of a registration number on the still-burning engine debris are seen: 2795. Prigozhin's plane is registered as RA-02795.
Bodies found: Russian state media outlet Russia-24 reported that eight bodies have been found at the plane crash site. Russian state media has also reported that 10 people were on board the aircraft.
Biden's reaction: US President Joe Biden suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been involved in the crash. "You may recall, I was asked about this," Biden told CNN Wednesday, alluding to comments he made in July in which he said Prigozhin should be worried about his safety following the failed mutiny. "I said I would be careful what I rode in. I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised," Biden said.
Criminal case: The Russian Investigative Committee said it has initiated "a criminal case" following the crash of the Embraer Legacy aircraft. The committee said the case was based on Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which involves the violation of the rules of traffic safety and operation of air transport.
Investigation opened: The Russian state aviation authority Rosaviation said a specially created commission "has begun investigating the circumstances and causes of the accident with the Embraer-135 aircraft, which occurred on August 23 in the Tver region." The authority's statement said the plane belonged to MNT-Aero LLC, which specializes in business transportation.
General dismissed: The crash came as Gen. Sergey Surovikin, the former leader of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, was removed from his position as the head of Russia's aerospace forces. Surovikin has not been seen in public since the short-lived mutiny led by Prigozhin, fueling unconfirmed rumors of his detention.
Putin's whereabouts: As reports of the crash poured in, Putin was in the southwestern Kursk region leading a ceremony honoring the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk and Russian forces currently fighting in Ukraine. Putin's speech, and the elaborate, highly choreographed ceremony, were broadcast on state television Wednesday evening local time.
1 min ago
What was Putin doing as the crash happened?
From CNN's Radina Gigova
Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia on July 29. Stringer/Getty Images
As reports of the plane crash poured in on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin was in the southwestern Kursk region leading a ceremony honoring both the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk and Russian forces currently fighting in Ukraine.
The anniversary relates to a clash near Kursk in 1943, during World War II, when the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union fought in a major tank battle, resulting in a Soviet victory.
Putin gave a speech at a memorial in the village of Ponyri and presented state awards to participants in what Russia still describes as its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
"The whole burden of fighting today, as in the years of the Great Patriotic War, lies primarily on our soldiers, on those who are on the front line," Putin said at the event. "All our fighters fight bravely and decisively. Devotion to the Motherland, loyalty to the military oath unite all participants in the special military operation."
Putin's speech, and the elaborate, highly choreographed ceremony, were broadcast on state television Wednesday evening local time. In the same newscast, on state channel Russia 24, there was a report about a plane crash in Tver region, and that Yevgeny Prigozhin's name was among the names of the passengers.
Putin's remarks aired around 9 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET), while state media reported that the crash had occurred around 6 p.m. local time. Russian Emergency services said at the time that the Embraer aircraft came down near the village of Kuzhenkino, in Tver region, while flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg. There were 10 people on board, including three crew members, and all were killed, Russian state media said.
During the ceremony in Kursk, which Putin described as "grandiose," the Russian leader presented a state award to the crew of the Alyosha T-80 tank, which was claimed to have destroyed a Ukrainian armored convoy on the Zaporizhzhia axis, according to state news agency TASS.
While in Kursk, Putin also met with residents, video on Russia 24 showed. Residents shook hands with Putin and some even gave him a hug, in the Russia 24 clip.
Earlier in the day, Putin addressed, via video link, the BRICS summit that is underway in Johannesburg, claiming that Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in order to end a war “unleashed by the West.”
3 hr 23 min ago
Prigozhin "signed a special death warrant for himself," Ukrainian presidential adviser says
From CNN's Radina Gigova
The "demonstrative elimination of (Yevgeny) Prigozhin" shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin "does not forgive anyone for his own bestial terror," Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukrainian presidential adviser, claimed on social media.
"About Prigozhin: It is worth waiting for the fog of war to disappear... Meanwhile, it is obvious that Putin does not forgive anyone for his own bestial terror. Exactly the one that nullified him in June 2023," Podolyak said.
The crash comes two months after Prigozhin launched a mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. The attempted rebellion was called off in a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that required Prigozhin and his fighters to relocate to Belarus.
But Podolyak claimed Putin was "waiting for the moment."
"It is also obvious that Prigozhin signed a special death warrant for himself the moment he believed in Lukashenko's bizarre 'guarantees' and Putin's equally absurd 'word of honor," he said, referring to the deal that ended the Wagner group's short-lived rebellion.
Following that deal, criminal charges were dropped against the Wagner boss. But Putin said in a speech at the time that those on the “path of treason” would face punishment.
"The demonstrative elimination of Prigozhin and the Wagner command two months after the coup attempt is a signal from Putin to Russia's elites ahead of the 2024 elections. 'Beware! Disloyalty equals death,'" Podolyak claimed Wednesday. "But it is also a signal to the Russian military: There will be no 'SVO [special military operation] heroes.' If it isn't a Ukrainian tribunal, it will be an FSB bullet."
The Kremlin is yet to comment on the crash.
3 hr 37 min ago
Flight-tracking data shows "dramatic descent" of plane purportedly carrying Prigozhin
From CNN's Pete Muntean
Flight-tracking data show the private jet purportedly carrying Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin experienced a “dramatic descent.”
Flight-tracking site FlightRadar24 says the Embraer Legacy 600 stopped transmitting position data at 6:11 p.m. local time, likely due to “interference/jamming in the area,” but the jet continued to transmit other data for another nine minutes.
FlightRadar24 says its data show the flight leveled off at 28,000 feet and made some slight altitude changes. The last minute of available data shows the plane making erratic climbs and descents, at one point climbing above 30,000 feet.
Then, at 6:19 p.m. local time, the data show the descent rate of the plane neared a blistering 8,000 feet per minute before the transmission of altitude data stopped.
“Even though the aircraft was not transmitting position information, other data like altitude, speed, vertical rate, and autopilot settings were broadcast,” says a FlightRadar24 blog post. “It is this data that provides some insight into the final moments of the flight.”
3 hr 38 min ago
Prigozhin was listed on the manifest of a crashed plane. Here's what to know about the mercenary-turned-rebel
From CNN's Sophie Tanno, Jerome Taylor and Josh Pennington
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is listed among passengers on board a plane that crashed north of Moscow, according to Russian state media.
Prigozhin, the founder and bombastic leader of Russia’s private military group Wagner, was once a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but that changed after the mercenary incited an armed rebellion against the Kremlin.
From humble beginnings to "Putin's chef": Prigozhin grew up in the tougher neighborhoods of St. Petersburg, also the president’s hometown. The men have known each other since the 1990s. Prigozhin became an oligarch by winning lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin, earning him the moniker “Putin’s chef.”
His role in Ukraine: Prigozhin founded Wagner as a shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the world. Typically a figure who has preferred to operate in the shadows, Prigozhin and his fighters were thrust into the spotlight following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Wagner forces were heavily involved in taking the Ukrainian towns of Soledar and Bakhmut.
Dilemma for Putin: In recent months, Prigozhin became an outspoken critic of Russia’s military leaders. After complaining for more than a month of receiving insufficient support from the Kremlin in the grueling fight for the eastern city of Bakhmut, he announced in May that his troops would withdraw.
The rebellion: Prigozhin launched an all-out rebellion against the Kremlin in June. The Wagner mutiny began when Prigozhin unleashed a new tirade against the Russian military and then marched his troops into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Putin called Wagner’s actions “treason.” “It is a stab in the back of our country and our people,” the president said in an address to the nation shortly after the rebellion. Prigozhin responded on Telegram saying that Putin was “deeply mistaken.” “We are patriots of our Motherland, we fought and are fighting,” the Wagner chief said.
President Biden suggests Putin may be behind the plane crash
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
US President Joe Biden suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been behind the crash of a plane near Moscow.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is listed among passengers of the plane, and Biden said he wasn’t surprised that the Russian mercenary may have been targeted.
"You may recall, I was asked about this," Biden told CNN’s Kevin Liptak, alluding to comments he made in July in which he said Prighozin should be worried about his safety following the failed mutiny.
"I said I would be careful what I rode in. I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised," Biden said Wednesday..
At a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, in July, Biden joked that if he were Prighozin, "I’d be careful what I eat, keep my eye on my menu."
Biden added that there is "not much that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind but I don’t know enough to know the answer."
The president had just walked out of a fitness studio in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where the White House says he attended a Pilates class followed by a spin class.
Russian state media said eight bodies have been found at the crash site. Ten people were on board the aircraft, state media also reported.
US President Joe Biden suggested that President Vladimir Putin may have been behind the crash. "I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I'm not surprised," he said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine marks its Independence Day Thursday, exactly 18 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its former Soviet neighbor.
Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day Thursday, exactly 18 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its former Soviet neighbor
August 24 marks the 32nd anniversary of when Ukraine declared it would break with the Soviet Union in 1991.
Before Russia's invasion, the day was marked by celebrations and parades but last year, it was darkened by a missile strike on an eastern Ukrainian train station that killed at least 22 people.
Here are the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine:
Belgorod attacks: Three people were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's southwestern Belgorod region Wednesday, its governor said. Drone attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in the border province, which is located just 80 kilometers from Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region.
Child deaths: Some 541 children have been killed in Ukraine since the war began in February 2022, British charity Save the Children said in a report Wednesday. This June was the deadliest month for children so far, with 11 children killed and 43 more injured.
Sumy strike: Two teachers were killed and four people injured when a Shahed drone hit a school in Romny, in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, local authorities said Wednesday. The bodies of at least two more school employees are believed to be under the rubble, Ukrainian police said.
Grain destroyed: A Russian attack on the port of Izmail on the Danube River destroyed 13,000 tons of grain meant for export, according to the Ukrainian Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Oleksandr Kubrakov. The grain was destined for Egypt and Romania, he said.
EU leaders in Kyiv: UkrainianPresident Volodymyr Zelensky is hosting leaders from Portugal, Lithuania and Finland in Kyiv this week after returning from his own tour of European nations. During the trip, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Finland’s “strong and unwavering support to Ukraine” is set to continue. Helsinki has supplied Kyiv with 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) worth of aid, 1.2 billion of which were in defense packages, a Finnish statement said.
Ukraine claims hit: The Ukrainian military said that it had destroyed a Russian S-400 missile system in Russian-occupied Crimea on Wednesday. The explosion “completely destroyed” the long- and medium-range S-400 Triumph missile system, as well as its missiles and personnel, according to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence.
Russia bombs kindergarten: Six people were injured after Russian forces dropped guided bombs on a kindergarten and residential buildings in Ukraine's southern Kherson city, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday.
An imprisoned former general with Russia's security services who reportedly had knowledge of the construction of President Vladimir Putin's Black Sea residence has died in custody, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.
Gen. Gennady Lopyrev — who was convicted of bribery offenses in 2017 and was serving more than nine years at correctional colony No. 3 in the central Ryazan region — "suddenly fell ill" and was sent to a local hospital where he died on August 16, RIA reported.
According to state news agency TASS, Lopyrev was convicted of taking bribes “in the total amount of about 7 million rubles (about $74,000).”
Lopyrev was also convicted of illegal possession of pistols and ammunition, RIA said, although those convictions were overturned on appeal.
The general had always maintained his innocence of all charges.
Citing Lopyrev's lawyer Ruslan Zakalyuzhny, Russian news outlet RBC reported at the time of the trial that the court found Lopyrev guilty of “financial fraud related to the signing of contracts for the repair of engineering communications" of Putin’s summer residence, Bocharov Ruchey, in Sochi.
Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) called Lopyrev’s death “suspicious” and said its “insider source claimed Lopyrev was 'the keeper of secrets' related to the construction of President Putin’s Black Sea residence in Gelendzhik, often referred to as 'Putin’s Palace'.”
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency on Wednesday released the names of two pilots and one flight attendant who were on board Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's private jet when it crashed, killing all on board.
Citing the airline, the agency gave the names of the lost crew as:
Captain Aleksei Levshin
Co-Pilot Rustam Karimov
Flight Attendant Kristina Raspopova
Ten people were on board the aircraft, Russian state media has reported.
Earlier, the Federal Air Transport Agency shared the names of the passengers it said were on board, in addition to Prigozhin. They were named as:
Sergey Propustin
Evgeniy Makaryan
Aleksandr Totmin
Valeriy Chekalov, a senior aide to Prigozhin designated by the US Treasury for acting "for or on behalf of Prigozhin and has facilitated shipments of munitions to the Russian Federation"
Dmitriy Utkin, a trusted lieutenant of Prigozhin's since the beginning of the Wagner Group
Nikolay Matuseev
Russian state media said earlier that eight bodies have been found at the crash site.
All on board were killed, according to preliminary information, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Services said.
The crash comes two months after Prigozhin launched a mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. The attempted rebellion was called off in a deal that required Prigozhin and his fighters to relocate to Belarus.
Here's what you need to know about the crash:
Prigozhin on flight manifest: The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said Prigozhin was among the people on board the plane that crashed in the western Tver region. A Telegram channel linked to the Wagner private military group also issued a statement saying Prigozhin has been killed. The channel has previously carried Wagner propaganda videos, and Prigozhin's official press service has linked to it in the past. CNN is unable to confirm the assertion. Other channels associated with Prigozhin and Wagner, including his official Telegram channel, have remained silent.
Engine debris: Video of plane engine debris taken at the purported crash site matches a plane registered to Prigozhin. In the video, the last four digits of a registration number on the still-burning engine debris are seen: 2795. Prigozhin's plane is registered as RA-02795.
Bodies found: Russian state media outlet Russia-24 reported that eight bodies have been found at the plane crash site. Russian state media has also reported that 10 people were on board the aircraft.
Biden's reaction: US President Joe Biden suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been involved in the crash. "You may recall, I was asked about this," Biden told CNN Wednesday, alluding to comments he made in July in which he said Prigozhin should be worried about his safety following the failed mutiny. "I said I would be careful what I rode in. I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised," Biden said.
Criminal case: The Russian Investigative Committee said it has initiated "a criminal case" following the crash of the Embraer Legacy aircraft. The committee said the case was based on Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which involves the violation of the rules of traffic safety and operation of air transport.
Investigation opened: The Russian state aviation authority Rosaviation said a specially created commission "has begun investigating the circumstances and causes of the accident with the Embraer-135 aircraft, which occurred on August 23 in the Tver region." The authority's statement said the plane belonged to MNT-Aero LLC, which specializes in business transportation.
General dismissed: The crash came as Gen. Sergey Surovikin, the former leader of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, was removed from his position as the head of Russia's aerospace forces. Surovikin has not been seen in public since the short-lived mutiny led by Prigozhin, fueling unconfirmed rumors of his detention.
Putin's whereabouts: As reports of the crash poured in, Putin was in the southwestern Kursk region leading a ceremony honoring the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk and Russian forces currently fighting in Ukraine. Putin's speech, and the elaborate, highly choreographed ceremony, were broadcast on state television Wednesday evening local time.
Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia on July 29. Stringer/Getty Images
As reports of the plane crash poured in on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin was in the southwestern Kursk region leading a ceremony honoring both the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk and Russian forces currently fighting in Ukraine.
The anniversary relates to a clash near Kursk in 1943, during World War II, when the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union fought in a major tank battle, resulting in a Soviet victory.
Putin gave a speech at a memorial in the village of Ponyri and presented state awards to participants in what Russia still describes as its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
"The whole burden of fighting today, as in the years of the Great Patriotic War, lies primarily on our soldiers, on those who are on the front line," Putin said at the event. "All our fighters fight bravely and decisively. Devotion to the Motherland, loyalty to the military oath unite all participants in the special military operation."
Putin's speech, and the elaborate, highly choreographed ceremony, were broadcast on state television Wednesday evening local time. In the same newscast, on state channel Russia 24, there was a report about a plane crash in Tver region, and that Yevgeny Prigozhin's name was among the names of the passengers.
Putin's remarks aired around 9 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET), while state media reported that the crash had occurred around 6 p.m. local time. Russian Emergency services said at the time that the Embraer aircraft came down near the village of Kuzhenkino, in Tver region, while flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg. There were 10 people on board, including three crew members, and all were killed, Russian state media said.
During the ceremony in Kursk, which Putin described as "grandiose," the Russian leader presented a state award to the crew of the Alyosha T-80 tank, which was claimed to have destroyed a Ukrainian armored convoy on the Zaporizhzhia axis, according to state news agency TASS.
While in Kursk, Putin also met with residents, video on Russia 24 showed. Residents shook hands with Putin and some even gave him a hug, in the Russia 24 clip.
Earlier in the day, Putin addressed, via video link, the BRICS summit that is underway in Johannesburg, claiming that Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in order to end a war “unleashed by the West.”
The "demonstrative elimination of (Yevgeny) Prigozhin" shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin "does not forgive anyone for his own bestial terror," Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukrainian presidential adviser, claimed on social media.
"About Prigozhin: It is worth waiting for the fog of war to disappear... Meanwhile, it is obvious that Putin does not forgive anyone for his own bestial terror. Exactly the one that nullified him in June 2023," Podolyak said.
The crash comes two months after Prigozhin launched a mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. The attempted rebellion was called off in a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that required Prigozhin and his fighters to relocate to Belarus.
But Podolyak claimed Putin was "waiting for the moment."
"It is also obvious that Prigozhin signed a special death warrant for himself the moment he believed in Lukashenko's bizarre 'guarantees' and Putin's equally absurd 'word of honor," he said, referring to the deal that ended the Wagner group's short-lived rebellion.
Following that deal, criminal charges were dropped against the Wagner boss. But Putin said in a speech at the time that those on the “path of treason” would face punishment.
"The demonstrative elimination of Prigozhin and the Wagner command two months after the coup attempt is a signal from Putin to Russia's elites ahead of the 2024 elections. 'Beware! Disloyalty equals death,'" Podolyak claimed Wednesday. "But it is also a signal to the Russian military: There will be no 'SVO [special military operation] heroes.' If it isn't a Ukrainian tribunal, it will be an FSB bullet."
The Kremlin is yet to comment on the crash.
Flight-tracking data show the private jet purportedly carrying Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin experienced a “dramatic descent.”
Flight-tracking site FlightRadar24 says the Embraer Legacy 600 stopped transmitting position data at 6:11 p.m. local time, likely due to “interference/jamming in the area,” but the jet continued to transmit other data for another nine minutes.
FlightRadar24 says its data show the flight leveled off at 28,000 feet and made some slight altitude changes. The last minute of available data shows the plane making erratic climbs and descents, at one point climbing above 30,000 feet.
Then, at 6:19 p.m. local time, the data show the descent rate of the plane neared a blistering 8,000 feet per minute before the transmission of altitude data stopped.
“Even though the aircraft was not transmitting position information, other data like altitude, speed, vertical rate, and autopilot settings were broadcast,” says a FlightRadar24 blog post. “It is this data that provides some insight into the final moments of the flight.”
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is listed among passengers on board a plane that crashed north of Moscow, according to Russian state media.
Prigozhin, the founder and bombastic leader of Russia’s private military group Wagner, was once a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but that changed after the mercenary incited an armed rebellion against the Kremlin.
From humble beginnings to "Putin's chef": Prigozhin grew up in the tougher neighborhoods of St. Petersburg, also the president’s hometown. The men have known each other since the 1990s. Prigozhin became an oligarch by winning lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin, earning him the moniker “Putin’s chef.”
His role in Ukraine: Prigozhin founded Wagner as a shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the world. Typically a figure who has preferred to operate in the shadows, Prigozhin and his fighters were thrust into the spotlight following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Wagner forces were heavily involved in taking the Ukrainian towns of Soledar and Bakhmut.
Dilemma for Putin: In recent months, Prigozhin became an outspoken critic of Russia’s military leaders. After complaining for more than a month of receiving insufficient support from the Kremlin in the grueling fight for the eastern city of Bakhmut, he announced in May that his troops would withdraw.
The rebellion: Prigozhin launched an all-out rebellion against the Kremlin in June. The Wagner mutiny began when Prigozhin unleashed a new tirade against the Russian military and then marched his troops into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Putin called Wagner’s actions “treason.” “It is a stab in the back of our country and our people,” the president said in an address to the nation shortly after the rebellion. Prigozhin responded on Telegram saying that Putin was “deeply mistaken.” “We are patriots of our Motherland, we fought and are fighting,” the Wagner chief said.
US President Joe Biden suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been behind the crash of a plane near Moscow.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is listed among passengers of the plane, and Biden said he wasn’t surprised that the Russian mercenary may have been targeted.
"You may recall, I was asked about this," Biden told CNN’s Kevin Liptak, alluding to comments he made in July in which he said Prighozin should be worried about his safety following the failed mutiny.
"I said I would be careful what I rode in. I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised," Biden said Wednesday..
At a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, in July, Biden joked that if he were Prighozin, "I’d be careful what I eat, keep my eye on my menu."
Biden added that there is "not much that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind but I don’t know enough to know the answer."
The president had just walked out of a fitness studio in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where the White House says he attended a Pilates class followed by a spin class.
