24 August 2023 , 10:51
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Scores of Wagner mercenaries are preparing for a full revenge attack if it's confirmed their leaders have been killed in a plane crash.
Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin are said to be among the 10 dead in the wreckage, though their deaths are yet to be confirmed. Witnesses described hearing a loud bang before watching the aircraft tumble from the sky and crash into a burning fireball in a nearby field near Moscow.
Since the crash, rumours have begun to swirl as who is responsible, with many believing it to be Putin in a revenge attack for Prigozhin's failed coup just two months ago. He rallied thousands of troops in a march to Moscow but turned back just 500km from the city.
Since then, he has been living in exile in Belarus and tried to keep a low profile - but many believed his days were numbered after being put on the Russian president's 'kill list'. Now, the Wagner Group are threatening a full "mobilisation" if Prigozhin is confirmed dead.
The wreckage of the plane crash (AP)A source confirmed: "In the event of Prigozhin's death, there is a mechanism for ''full mobilisation'' – regardless of who was at fault for his death." Wagner-linked channels posted a series of vengeful messages following the crash, vowing retribution if their leader is confirmed dead and declaring the people responsible 'traitors' to Russia.
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"There's a lot of talk right now about what the Wagner Group will do. We can tell you one thing,' mercenaries said in one video. "We are getting started, get ready for us."
A Wagner address last night, reported by the Sun, stated: "We directly say that we suspect the Kremline officials led by Putin of an attempt to kill him! If the information about Prigozhin's death is confirmed, we will organise a second March of Justice on Moscow!"
Wagner boss Prigozhin is said to be among the dead (Razgruzka_Vagnera/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)A Telegram channel thought to be linked to Prigozhin said their leader had died, saying he had been 'killed as a result of actions by traitors of Russia '. A post described him as a 'hero of Russia, a true patriot of his Motherland'.
It comes as former head of MI6 Sir John Sawyers told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "All the indications point to the fact that Putin has taken him out, he is reasserting his control. He is making clear to everyone both inside Russia and outside he is not going to brook any challenge. There is a slim chance he (Prigozhin) is not dead, and he wasn't on that plane - he will be soon."
Witnesses captured the burning wreckage (AP)
Wagner mercenaries are threatening a full mobilisation if their boss is confirmed dead (112/e2w)The number 795 can be made out on parts of the scrap, which matches the number of the plane linked to Prigozhin. But Keir Giles, from the London-based think tank Chatham House, has warned: "It's been announced that a passenger by the name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board - but it is also known that multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeny Prigozhin, as part of his efforts to obfuscate his travels. Let’s not be surprised if he pops up shortly in a new video from Africa."
As well as Prigozhin and Utkin, others believed to be on board include second pilot Rustam Karimov, flight attendant Kristina Raspopova, pilot Alexey Levshin, PMC Wagner fighters Sergey Propustin, Nikolay Matuseev/Matusevich, Alexander Totmin and Yevgeny Makaryan, and Prigozhin’s business partner Valery Chekalov.