Skip to content
Edit post

Russia confirms death of Wagner leaders Prigozhin and Utkin

by The Kyiv Independent news desk August 27, 2023 2:08 PM 2 min read
A screenshot from a video released by the press service of Yevgeny Prigozhin on May 13, 2023, shows the Wagner Group boss describing the tactical situation around Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast. (Video: Prigozhin's press service/Telegram)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Russia's Investigative Committee officially confirmed the death of Wagner Group's leaders Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin following a DNA test of their bodies, Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported on Aug. 27.

Prigozhin and Utkin were among the passengers of a private jet that crashed over Tver Oblast on Aug. 23. All 10 people aboard the plane perished.  

The cause of the crash remains unclear. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Aug. 24 that Ukraine did not orchestrate the crash, but added that "everyone understands" who is behind it.

The likely cause was a bomb onboard or "some other form of sabotage," according to unnamed U.S. officials cited by the Wall Street Journal on Aug. 24.

Moscow did not acknowledge shooting down the plane.

On Aug. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Prigoshin’s death, saying that "he made mistakes."

Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group mercenary company, took the lead in Russia's assault on Bakhmut.

But after a prolonged spat with Russia's Defense Ministry, Prigozhin ordered his troops to seize government buildings in Russia's Rostov and race towards Moscow before eventually calling off the mutiny.

Following an undisclosed deal allegedly brokered by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, the warlord was allowed to walk free and has recently released a video claiming to be in Africa.

The Institute for the Study of War reported that Putin is trying to dissolve the unit while Prigozhin was fighting to keep it alive.

Lukashenko says Wagner Group will stay in Belarus
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko denied reports of Wagner mercenaries leaving Belarus following the reported death of the group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to the state-controlled news agency Belta.

News Feed

5:15 AM

Media identifies nearly 85,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine.

According to the outlets' conclusions for the year, 2024 will likely mark the "war's deadliest year," with a current count of over 20,000 deaths confirmed over the past 12 months — although final conclusions cannot yet be made as data on casualties continues to emerge.
11:17 PM

Zelensky meets with CIA director in Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 21 that he met with CIA Director William Burns in Ukraine, marking a rare public acknowledgment of their discussions during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
4:16 AM

IMF approves $1.1 billion in funding for Ukraine.

The IMF approved the $1.1 billion tranche after completing its sixth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), a plan to provide Ukraine with over $15 billion in budget support over four years.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.