Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane crash: Was Vladimir Putin involved? – SCREENSHOT Media

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane crash: Was Vladimir Putin involved?

By Mason Berlinka

Published Aug 24, 2023 at 01:29 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

According to Russia’s civil aviation authority, a private jet travelling from Moscow to Saint Petersburg crashed in the Tver region, killing ten people. And according to what’s said on the plane’s flight list, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, was among the passengers. Alongside Prigozhin was his right-hand man, Dmitry Utkin. So, just to be sure—we’re all thinking the same thing here, right?

It would appear that Putin has finally taken care of his surprise traitor. But before we delve into any potential conspiracy theories, here’s a quick reminder on everything Prigozhin-related for those of you who haven’t done their reading yet. The highly controversial Russian oligarch was responsible for an attempted coup back in June 2023, following an alleged attack on Wagner troops from the Russian President.

The world was taken aback by Prigozhin’s impulsive decision to march tens of thousands of soldiers to the Russian capital. We watched eagerly as someone who had previously been a close confidant of Putin suddenly turn in the name of justice for his troops. It was an exciting moment, and led many to hope that the Eastern superpower was finally beginning to feel strain under the weight of the war.

Once an invaluable tool for the Russian regime’s dirty work, nobody was expecting Prigozhin’s surprise march, not even Putin. However, the march quickly fizzled out amid negotiations, Wagner soldiers were absorbed into the military, and the warlord fled to Belarus. That seemed to be that for a while—the drama appeared all smoothed over in a surprising move of restraint from Putin. To everyone’s surprise, Prigozhin was even seen furthering Russian interests in Africa in a propaganda video posted last week:

But of course it couldn’t end there, not after Putin had been humiliated in front of the whole world. With recent reports that Prigozhin is now dead, this looks like nothing short of an inside job. From footage of the plane going down to rumours from MI6 that an explosive crate of wine was on board, it’s hard to believe that this is mere coincidence. Watch the plane tank to the ground in the following footage:

Footage shows how Russian Army Air Defense shut down the plane of Wagner Group CEO Prigozhin.
byu/carlesskey3000 inRussiaUkraineWar2022

Redditors were quick to eat up the rumours of the crash being an inside job, with one particularly brainy user sharing that the site of the downed plane located in the Tver region, is a deliberately significant one, bearing reference to another rebellion in Russia’s history from the 1300s:

Comment
byu/carlesskey3000 from discussion
inRussiaUkraineWar2022

It’s clear that Putin was biding his time, and when the opportunity arose, he eliminated those who posed a threat to his global interests, without caring whether or not they’d dined at the same table.

Keep On Reading

By Mason Berlinka

Vladimir Putin cracks down on human rights by banning ‘LGBTQ+ propaganda’ in Russia

By Charlie Sawyer

What is the Wagner Group? And how has its recent attempted military coup impacted Putin’s power?

By Mason Berlinka

Meta’s coming for Elon Musk’s bag: Everything you need to know about the latest Twitter copycat, Threads

By SCREENSHOT

SCREENSHOT weekly roundup: Keith Urban makes Phoebe Bridgers’ hit list and the Irish win big

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

New AI gaydar can detect someone’s sexuality with 81 per cent accuracy

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Nearly 80 primary schoolgirls hospitalised for suspected poisoning in Afghanistan

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

NFL star Michael Oher, inspiration for The Blind Side, sues Tuohy family for deceptive adoption   

By Alex Harris

11 of the most shocking school punishments ever given

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz speaks out about her 10 years in a cult

By Mason Berlinka

What is the Caren Act? Unpacking why there needs to be a federal anti-Karen bill in the US

By Amy Rose Everett

The return of the stereotype: Why sexist ads are on the rise and how we can make them history

By SCREENSHOT

Rate My Date: The one where he fell asleep 20 minutes in

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

US mother received call from kidnapped daughter only to find out it was an AI scam

By Jennifer Raymont

The 10 best summer shoes for 2023

By Louis Shankar

What is a zillennial? Confessions and insights of a cusp generation baby

By Alma Fabiani

Elliot Page shares powerful message of trans joy in recent shirtless selfie

By Harriet Piercy

25 stupid world records that nobody has bothered to try and break (with good reason)

By Charlie Sawyer

Fancy staying in Shrek’s swamp? Well, here are Airbnb’s most iconic film-inspired homes

By Alma Fabiani

Watch Terry Crews recreate iconic A Thousand Miles scene from White Chicks at sports game

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Watch a viral video of a man ordering a pizza with his mind