


DNA testing of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's downed plane has confirmed that he was on board, Russian authorities say.
Testing also confirmed the death of everyone else on the passenger list, including the alleged military head of Wagner, Dmitry Utkin. The investigation appears to put to rest any suspicions that Prigozhin may have switched planes at the last minute.
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"As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular genetic examinations have been completed. Based on their results, the identities of all 10 dead have been established, they correspond to the list stated in the flight sheet," the report from the Russian Investigative Committee said, TASS reported.
Russia's Federal Air Transportation Agency published the list of the passengers listed on board the flight shortly after the crash, which was confirmed by Sunday's report: Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin, 53, Sergei Propustin, Evgeny Makaryan, 38, Alexander Totmin, 30, Valery Chekalov, and Nikolai Matyuseev. Aircraft commander Alexei Levshin, co-pilot Rustam Karimov, and flight attendant Kristina Raspopova were also on board.
Though Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely suspected to be responsible for the crash, the exact method of the downing of the plane remains a mystery.
A preliminary report released last week by United States intelligence said that an intentional explosion caused the crash. Though Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely suspected to be responsible for the crash, the exact method of the downing of the plane remains a mystery.
Putin, for his part, declined to have any involvement, heaping measured praise on Prigozhin and saying he would see what the investigation concluded.
Multiple impromptu memorials sprang up for those killed around Russia in the days following the crash. So far, it is unknown who will take the reigns of Wagner, or what will happen to the group, which is mostly spread across Africa.
In addition to Wagner, Prigozhin also leaves behind a vast business empire, ranging from catering businesses to "troll factories."
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The former Wagner head was a devoted ally of Putin for years, steering the private military company to carry out the interests of the Russian state. His profile greatly increased following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when he finally publicly embraced his position as head of the group.
Following a public feud with the Russian Ministry of Defense, Prigozhin launched an abortive mutiny against the Kremlin, coming within hours of Moscow. His plane crashed two months later.