The Investigation Committee of Russia (CIR) confirmed today that The body of the former leader of the Wagner mercenary company has been identified. Yevgeny Prigozhin, and those of the other nine who died in the accident of their plane, which occurred last Wednesday.
According to the CIR, the identity of the plane’s occupants was confirmed by comparative DNA analysis.
“In the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, genetic-molecular expertise was concluded. Based on their results, the identity of the ten deceased was established, who aree correspond to those declared in the passenger list”said the CIR in a statement.
In Prigozhin’s Embraer Legacy 600, which crashed for reasons still unknown some 300 kilometers northwest of Moscow while flying from the Russian capital to Saint Petersburg, was also the main commander and co-founder of the mercenary company, Dmitri Utkin.
Former Russian military intelligence (GRU) officer, Utkin fought in Chechnya, Syria and Ukraine, and was awarded the title of Hero of Russia and precisely with his code name, Wagner, the mercenary company was baptized.
Among the ten occupants of the plane Valeri Chekalov, who was responsible for Prigozhin’s personal security, was also present. and part of its businesses, recently sanctioned by the United States.
At the moment, the investigations have not shed light on the causes of the accident, among which an explosion on board, a technical failure or even a piloting error are being considered.
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Some media have pointed out the possibility that the aircraft could have been shot down, intentionally or by mistake, by missiles from the anti-aircraft defense units that protect a residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, located next to the route the plane was following. The Kremlin has strongly rejected the opposition accusations and statements by Western politicians that Putin might be behind the Prigozhin plane crash.
“It is an absolute lie,” emphasized the spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitri Peskov.