Wagner chief Prigozhin ‘killed’ as 10 die in plane crash near Moscow – follow live

The plane Prigozhin is reported to have been flying on was a private business jet – an Embraer Legacy 600, registration number 02795.

The aircraft is 26.3m long, has a wingspan of 21.1m and a top speed of 528mph. It has a range of nearly 4,000 miles can carry 13-14 passengers and usually has two crew members on board.

It crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino, northwest of Moscow, during a flight from Moscow to St Petersburg.

Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday thanked South African president Cyril Ramaphosa for handling the summit of the BRICS group of nations and for his efforts to expand the bloc.

BRICS has decided to invite six countries – Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – to become new members of the group, which currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Putin was speaking via video link at the closing news conference of the three-day summit held in Johannesburg. It was the first time he spoke publicly after a plane reported to be carrying Wagner chief Prigozhin crashed northwest of Moscow.

US president Joe Biden has suggested the Kremlin may be responsible for bringing down the plane, saying not much happens in Russia “that Putin’s not behind”.

Prigozhin supporters claimed on pro-Wagner messaging app channels that the plane was deliberately downed, although such claims could not be independently verified.

Numerous opponents and critics of Putin have been killed or gravely sickened in apparent assassination attempts.

This is the final video posted by Prigozhin before he was reported to have been killed in a plane crash northwest of Moscow.

In the video, Prigozhin can be seen toting an assault rifle and wearing military fatigues, with his comments suggesting the clip was shot in an unnamed African country.

The Wagner boss said during the clip that he is recruiting “strongmen” and said the group will “fulfil the tasks that were set” by the Russian government.

Filmmaker Lars von Trier has come under fire from the Ukrainian government after saying that “Russian lives matter also” on social media.

The Danish auteur is known for directing controversial films such as Antichrist, Dogville, and The Idiots, many of which are known for their violent and sexually explicit content.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said “it’s important not to jump to conclusions” following reports that the leader of the Wagner mercenary group died in a plane crash.

He told Sky News: “We only heard about this, it only happened a few hours ago. We are monitoring the position. It’s important not to jump to conclusions. We are working with our allies, and as soon as we have assessed the situation the government will of course have more to say on the matter.”

It was put to him earlier on Times Radio that this may be further evidence that Russian president Vladimir Putin is not the kind of person deals can be made with, including to end the war in Ukraine.

Mr Gibb said: “We do know that Putin engaged in an illegal invasion of Ukraine. He’s subject to a warrant for war crimes.

“So we know what kind of person Putin is. What we are doing as a British government with our allies is supporting the effort in Ukraine to defeat the Russians in this illegal invasion with billions of pounds of aid to Ukraine in their military efforts to defend their country.”

Black body bags were removed by investigators at the crash site of the plane believed to have been carrying Prigozhin early on Thursday morning.

Part of the plane’s tail and other fragments lay on the ground near a wooded area where forensic investigators had erected a tent.

Mourners left flowers and lit candles near Wagner’s offices in St Petersburg early on Thursday.

The Kremlin remains silent on reports that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash near Moscow.

There has been no official comment from Russian president Vladimir Putin or other senior officials, including at Russia’s defence minstry.

A Telegram channel linked to Wagner, Grey Zone, has pronounced Prigozhin dead, however, and hailed him as a hero and a patriot who it said had died at the hands of unidentified people it called “traitors to Russia.”

A video showing Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s thoughts on death has been shared on a Telegram channel linked to the mercenary group, just hours after its chief and co-founder were feared to have died in a plane crash.

Prigozhin, a former prison convict and one of Vladimir Putin’s closest associates until he launched a failed military coup in June, is believed to have died in the plane crash between Moscow and St Petersburg.

The Grey Zone Telegram channel, which provides both official and unofficial updates on Wagner activities, hailed Prigozhin as a hero and a patriot who died at the hands of unidentified “traitors to Russia” earlier on Wednesday.

Russian president Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to the Southern Military District headquarters which Wagner fighters had briefly taken control of during the coup, the British Ministry of Defence said today.

Situated in Rostov-on-Don, approximately 160km from the frontline, the headquarters hosted Putin last week on Saturday, the ministry said.

The HQ hosts military staff running the war in Ukraine.

“Putin held a meeting with senior officers, including Chief of the General Staff General Valery Gerasimov who continues to command the operation in Ukraine,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update.

The Russian president “highly likely wishes to project his authority and to portray the senior military command as functioning as usual”, it added.