Mysterious Crash Of Plane Carrying Wagner Leader Sparks Assassination Speculation

Preliminary assessments by U.S. officials are shedding light on the crash of the plane carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner paramilitary group.

While Russian authorities are yet to provide a definitive explanation, early indications point towards an assassination plot rather than a surface-to-air missile takedown, according to exclusive news released by The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

A Web Of Speculations And Silence

Initial investigations have suggested that an explosion, potentially caused by a bomb, or some form of deliberate sabotage, led to the plane crash northwest of Moscow. These preliminary findings have ignited a flurry of speculations and discussions on various platforms, particularly on social media channels associated with Prigozhin’s Wagner group.

Social media channels connected to Wagner Group have hinted at the possibility of a Russian military antiaircraft missile being responsible for the crash.

The state news agency RIA reported that local residents had recounted hearing an explosion before witnessing the plane descending to the ground. According to the agency, a section of the aircraft landed approximately 2 miles away from the primary crash site.

Grey Zone, a channel with close ties to Wagner, stated: "All of us are emotional now, but we have to hold ourselves together," WSJ reported.

Eric Green, previously a Russia consultant for President Joe Biden‘s National Security Council and currently a scholar at Washington’s Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted potential concerns about how Wagner fighters and their supporters might react to the news.

The expert also added that “Prigozhin was a dangerous rival to Russia's top defense officials.”

Meanwhile, Russia's President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the private jet crash that reportedly took the life of Prigozhin. Putin described those on board as people "who greatly contributed" to fighting in Ukraine. "We remember it, we know it and we will not forget," he said.

Stocks operating in the U.S. defense and aerospace industry, as tracked by the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF ITA fell 1.7% on Thursday.

Read now: Old Video Of Russian President Saying ‘Betrayal’ Is Unforgivable Goes Viral After Wagner Chief’s Plane Crash

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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