Russia announces the crash of a plane carrying the "Wagner" commander, and the death of all passengers

 Russia's Civil Aviation Authority confirmed on Wednesday that the commander of the Russian private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and his assistant Dmitry Utkin were among the passengers of the private plane that crashed north of Moscow, while accounts linked to Wagner on Telegram confirmed the deaths of Prigozhin and Utkin.

And the official Russian agency, "Tass", had reported earlier, Wednesday, that 10 people had died after a private plane crashed in the Tver region, north of Moscow, and the authorities confirmed that Prigozhin was among the passengers.

Confirmation from the Civil Aviation Authority came after news emerged that a second plane belonging to Prigozhin had landed at a private airport near Moscow, which media said he had previously used as camouflage and to ensure his security.

Russia's Civil Aviation Authority said Prigozhin's name "was on the list of names of passengers on board the plane that crashed and had registration number RA-02795.

She stated that the plane was carrying 10 passengers, including 3 pilots, and that they were all killed. The authority published the names of the 10 passengers on board.

The emergency services announced that 8 bodies had been found at the crash site of the Embraer, a small, narrow-body, twin-engine aircraft used for short and medium-haul flights. Two other bodies were found nearby.

The agency, "Ria Novosti," said that the plane was heading from Moscow to St. Petersburg, where the headquarters of the Wagner Group is located, noting that the plane crashed near the village of Kozkino.

Russian media said that another plane belonging to the commander of Wagner, bearing the number "RA-02748", landed at the private Ostafiyevo airport near Moscow.

The media reported that the plane appeared to have dumped excess fuel before landing, which explains the zigzag path it took over Moscow before landing, according to the "Flight Radar" website.

The other plane was also an Embraer, and Prigozhin would often switch between them for his safety.

In the first American reaction, the White House said on Wednesday that President Joe Biden had taken note of the reports of the plane crash and that there was nothing for him to comment on at this time.

Biden said he did not know what happened to Prigozhin, but he was "not surprised by the reports."

He added, "There are not many things that happen in Russia without (Russian President Vladimir) Putin being behind them."

The State Department said it had taken note of the reports, adding: "If reports of Prigozhin's death are confirmed, no one should be surprised that Commander Wagner was on board."

Prigozhin, whose group supported the Russian army in the war on Ukraine, led a rebellion against the Russian military leadership on June 24, which lasted for 24 hours and ended with an agreement mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin left for Belarus with his forces that were trying to march towards Moscow.

Days after he disappeared following the end of the insurgency, Prigozhin reappeared in Russia again, amid reports of a meeting between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Belarusian president said in July that Prigozhin had left his country to return to Russia and that he was in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, the stronghold of the special military group.

Prigozhin appeared on his channels through the "Telegram" application, in a video clip, which may have been filmed on the continent of Africa, according to "Reuters", where he delivered a speech while standing in a desert area, wearing a camouflage uniform and holding a gun. More armed men and a pickup truck could be seen in the distance.

In the video, which he believes is his first visible appearance since leading a rebellion against Russia's military in late June, Prigozhin said the group was "making Russia greater on all continents, and making Africa freer".