US officials say Prigozhin is most likely dead and an explosion may have brought down his plane (2023)

So far, there is no indication that the plane was shot down by a missile, said three U.S. officials, who along with others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the initial assessment. Two officials said an explosion was detected along the plane's path, but there was no sign of a missile launch.

In Russian President Vladimir Putin's first statements about the plane crash in Russia's Tver region on Wednesday, he appeared to praise Prigozhin but did not confirm his death. He promised a full investigation, saying it would take "some time". He said he knew Prigozhin, the ally-turned-rival who led a short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin in June 1990, and called him a "talented person" who "made serious mistakes."

The Embraer business jet, in which the leader of a group of mercenaries was among the passengers, crashed northwest of Moscow,killing all 10 on board- says the Russian Civil Aviation Agency. As of Thursday morning, parts of the jet — including what appeared to be its tail — lay more than a mile from the original crash site.

Seven passengers and three crew members were on a flight from Sheremetyevo International Airport to St. Russian aviation authorities said Prigozhin and his deputy Dmitry Utkin were on the passenger list.

So far, there is no indication that the plane was shot down by a missile, said three U.S. officials, who along with others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the initial assessment. Two officials said an explosion was detected along the plane's path, but there was no sign of a missile launch.

In Russian President Vladimir Putin's first statements about the plane crash in Russia's Tver region on Wednesday, he appeared to praise Prigozhin but did not confirm his death. He promised a full investigation, saying it would take "some time". He said he knew Prigozhin, the ally-turned-rival who led a short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin in June 1990, and called him a "talented person" who "made serious mistakes."

The Embraer business jet, in which the leader of a group of mercenaries was among the passengers, crashed northwest of Moscow,killing all 10 on board- says the Russian Civil Aviation Agency. As of Thursday morning, parts of the jet — including what appeared to be its tail — lay more than a mile from the original crash site.

Seven passengers and three crew members were on a flight from Sheremetyevo International Airport to St. Russian aviation authorities said Prigozhin and his deputy Dmitry Utkin were on the passenger list.

NEEDLEWORK