INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
sent condolences to the families of all 10 people said to be on board the plane that went down north-west of Moscow on Wednesday
speculation about what caused the deadly crash and whether Prigozhin was indeed on board, as stated on the passenger list.At a briefing on
Thursday, a Pentagon spokesperson said the US believed the Wagner chief was likely killed in the crash.Villagers near the crash site in the
Tver region say they heard a loud bang before seeing a plane falling out of the sky.One of the theories being investigated is whether a bomb
appeared to be an explosion aboard the aircraft.What caused the explosion was not known, although a bomb was one possibility, the official
added.Another theory, raised by a Prigozhin-linked Telegram channel, suggested that the jet had been shot down by Russian anti-aircraft
Sheremetyevo airport - where the plane took off heading for St Petersburg - are being questioned, and CCTV footage is being
The following morning, President Putin even addressed the Brics summit in South Africa via video-link - but made no mention of the crash
this accusation to justify his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Turning to Prigozhin himself, Mr Putin said he had known him
Prigozhin and his armed men - including many convicts - launched their insurrection two months ago, Mr Putin described their actions as
(125 miles) from the capital.However a deal was later reached that saw Wagner fighters given a choice - either join the Russian army or move
to neighbouring Belarus, and you will face no punishment.The rollback surprised both ordinary Russians and experts, who were puzzled that
the Wagner boss was apparently being allowed to travel freely across Russia and, it seemed, internationally.The Russian defence ministry has
Chekalov were also on the plane.All seven passengers and three crew members on board the plane are believed to have died.Source:
