Wagner Boss Prigozhin Suspected Killed In Plane Crash In Russia

Wires and unsubstantiated reports from Russia have claimed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, has been killed in a plane crash in Russia.

• Russian news service Readovka: "A Russian jet frequently used by Prigozhin crashed, per pro-Wagner telegram accounts. Multiple Russian media reports say all 10 people on board died... Whether the businessman was on the fallen board is still unknown."
• Prigozhin's role in the war in Ukraine and other Russian operations in Africa and the Middle East have been subject to much speculation since Wagner Group's rebellion against Russian military establishment in June.
• Recent reports have warned that a mobilisation of Wagner Group fighters to the strategically important Belarusian border with Poland and Lithuanian could threaten NATO forces in the region in the event of an escalation of the conflict.
• The Wagner leader's death, if confirmed, is unlikely to significantly alter the battlefield calculus in Ukraine. Prigozhin and Wagner's role in Ukraine had already diminished prior to the rebellion with the Russian Ministry of Defence conducting moves to replace Wagner operatives with Russian regulars.