What You Need To Know About Wagner Boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘Killed’ In Plane Crash

The leader of Wagner, a private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin was on Wednesday reportedly killed in a plane crash.

Naija News had earlier reported that the incident happened in Bologovsky district in the Tver region, 60 miles north of Moscow.

Prigozhin died alongside seven passengers and three crew who were on board the Embraer aircraft.

The Wagner boss before his death was known for his rebellion against the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Here are some things you need to know about Prigozhin who died at age 62.

1. Prigozhin was born in 1961, in St. Petersburg.

2. Prigozhin reportedly spent his 20s in a Soviet prison where he served nine years for robbery and fraud.

3. The Wagner boss after his release from prison, went into selling hot dogs in his hometown.

4. Prigozhin years after started a luxurious restaurant in St. Petersburg, which became a hub for Russian elites, including the then-deputy mayor, Vladimir Putin.

5. He earned himself the nickname, “Putin’s chef” for getting awarded exclusive and lucrative government catering contracts for state dinners under the Russian Leader.

6. In 2014, Prigozhin set up a private military company Wagner Group.

7. He denied any involvement with the group until September 2022, when he admitted to having formed the unit.

8. The group was first officially acknowledged by Putin last year after the capture of Bakhmut.

9. Prigozhin, however, in June 2023 launched an armed rebellion against Putin in Moscow, calling for the country’s top military brass to step down over their handling of the war with Ukraine.

10. The move was stopped after Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal between the two men, which resulted in Prigozhin being exiled to Belarus.