Kremlin Acknowledges Prigozhin Plane Crash Assassination Theory

Russian officials said Wednesday that the plane crash that reportedly killed mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin may have been brought down deliberately, with the remarks representing the first hint by the Kremlin that Mr. Prigozhin’s death may have been an assassination.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, speaks to a camera at an unknown location in an image released on Aug. 21, 2023. Razgruzka_Vagnera telegram channel via AP

Russian officials said on Aug. 30 that the plane crash that reportedly killed mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin may have been brought down deliberately, the first hint by the Kremlin that Mr. Prigozhin’s death may have been an assassination.

The jet that plunged to earth on Aug. 23 soon after taking off from Moscow for St. Petersburg was carrying Mr. Prigozhin, six other members of the Wagner paramilitary group, and three crew members, according to Russia’s civil aviation authority.