Russian agency says mercenary leader Prigozhin was aboard plane that crashed, leaving no survivors

Yevgeny Prigozhin led the Wagner Group, whose troops were among Russia’s best fighting forces in Ukraine. In June, his forces staged a rebellion as tensions rose with Russian military officials. After the rebellion, Prigozhin was allowed to retreat to Belarus, but he’s reportedly been seen in Russia. (Associated Press)

TALLINN, Estonia — Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military this year, was presumed dead Wednesday after a plane crash north of Moscow that killed all 10 people on board.

Prigozhin was on the plane, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency, which cited the airline. The crash immediately raised suspicions as the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny.