Officials believe the plane carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin—head of the Wagner Group—was likely brought down as part of an assassination plot carried out by Russian President Vladimir Putin, based on preliminary intelligence reports, according to the New York Times, though American intelligence has not confirmed whether Prigozhin died in the crash.
A plane carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin was likely brought down as part of an assassination attempt.
The officials, whom the Times describes as both U.S. and Western, said the leading theory of the plane’s demise was an explosion aboard, which could have been caused by a bomb, though other methods—including another device planted on the aircraft or adulterated fuel—were possibilities.
The Times noted there was no trace of a missile launch in U.S. satellite imagery.
Some U.S. and European officials also said they believed Putin ordered the plane to be destroyed in an effort to kill Prigozhin.
U.S. officials have not confirmed Prigozhin was aboard the plane, though unnamed officials told the Times they thought it was likely.
Gen. Mark Milley—chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—noted Prigozhin was “probably at some degree of risk” because of a rebellion he led against Putin earlier this year.
This is a developing story and will be updated.