What we know about the deadly plane crash that Russia says killed Yevgeny Prigozhin

Many unanswered questions remain in the wake of a deadly plane crash in Russia that officials saykilled Wagner Groupmercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and key associates on Wednesday evening.

Russia's Investigative Committee on Sunday said genetic testing has confirmed thatPrigozhin was on board a private jet that crashed north of Moscow, and that none of the 10 people on boardsurvived.

Here's a brief look at what has been reported about the crash and the demise of the outspoken 62-year-oldPrigozhin, who led abrief mutiny against Russian military leadership justtwo months ago.

Where was the flightgoing?

Russian authorities said theflightwas heading from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

It crashed Wednesday evening near the village of Kuzhenkino in Russia's Tver region.

WARNING |Video contains disturbing images of plane falling:

WARNING: Video contains disturbing images | Eyewitness video purports to show Russian plane falling

1 year ago

Duration 0:24

WARNING: Video contains disturbing images. Video obtained by Reuters from Ostorozhno Novosti purportedly shows a plane crashing to the ground in Russia's Tver region north of Moscow. Emergency officials said 10 people on board a plane that crashed were killed; Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the mercenary Wagner Group, was on the passenger list, officials said, but it wasn't immediately clear if he was on board.

What kind of plane crashed?

Russian authorities said Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on theprivate jet that crashed Wednesday. Russia's TASS news agency said the plane was a Brazilian Embraer jet.

The Brazilian aircraft maker said Wednesday that it was aware of a crash involving a Legacy 600 in Russia, but it did not have further information.

A Reuters report indicates the Embraer executive jet model that crashed in Russiahas a good safety recordand has only recorded one accident in more than 20 years of service, and that was not related to mechanical failure.

Who was onboard?

Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, said three of the 10 crash victims were crew members.The other sevenwere passengers includingPrigozhin and DmitryUtkin, a Wagner Group commander.

Russia'sInterfax news agency, citing emergency officials, reported early Thursday that all 10 bodies had been recovered at thecrash site.

Other top Wagnerassociates listed on the flight manifest included Valery Chekalov, who was in charge of managing mercenaries and securing weapons, and Yevgeny Makaryan, who was wounded while fighting with Wagner in Syria.

It was not clear why several high-ranking members of Wagner, including top leaders who are normally exceedingly careful about their security, were on the same flight. The purpose of their joint trip to St. Petersburg was unknown.

What brought down the plane?

Russian investigators opened a criminal probe to determine what happened. Some unnamed sources told Russian media they believed the plane had been shot down by one or more surface-to-air missiles though theU.S. Defence Department saidThursday there was currently no information to suggest that a surface-to-air missile was involved.

Russia's Investigative Committee, when confirming Prigozhin's death on Sunday, did not indicate what might have caused the business jet to crash.

Flight tracking data reviewed by The Associated Press showed that a private jet Prigozhin had used previously took off from Moscow on Wednesday evening. Its transponder signal disappeared minutes later.

The signal stopped suddenly while the plane was at altitude and travelling at speed. In an image posted by a pro-Wagner social media account showing burning wreckage, a partial tail number matching a jet previously used by Prigozhin could be seen.

Videos shared by the pro-Wagner Telegram channel Grey Zone showed a plane dropping like a stone from a large cloud of smoke, twisting as it fell, one of its wings apparently missing.A free fall like that typically occurs when an aircraft sustains severe damage. A frame-by-frame AP analysis of two videos was consistent with some sort of mid-flight explosion.

WATCH | Tensions between Prigozhin and the Kremlin:

Did Prigozhin's failed mutiny against Putin cost him his life? | About That

1 year ago

Duration 13:38

Wagner Group mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead after a plane crash north of Moscow two months after marching on the Russian military. Andrew Chang breaks down what we know about the crash, the rumours of Vladimir Putin's involvement, and takes us through the fateful 24 hours of Prigozhin's failed march on Moscow.

In televised comments on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin saidit was necessary to await the outcome of the official investigation into the crash. A day later, the Kremlin rejected allegations it was behind the crash.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyysaid Thursday his country had no involvement in Prigozhin's reported death.

Some Russia watchersare doubtful the public will ever get the full story from the Kremlin.

"The chances of there being a transparent investigation ... are really pretty slim," Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, a U.K.-based think-tank, toldCBC's Power & Politics on Wednesday.

Journalist Catherine Belton, who reports on Russia for the Washington Post, said she wasn't expecting a full accounting of the facts to emerge.

"I'm not sure we're ever going to know the truth of what happened," she told CBC Radio's The Current.

Is Prigozhin'sdeath confirmed?

Following Wednesday'scrash,theRussian civil aviation authority had said Prigozhin was on the plane.And the Wagner-linked Grey Zone Telegram channelpronounced Prigozhin dead.

However, the Kremlin did not immediately confirm Prigozhin's death.During Putin's televised comments on Thursday, the Russian leadersaid"preliminary data" indicated that Prigozhin and other Wagner employees had been on the downed plane.

Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder told reporters on Thursday that the initial U.S.assessment isthat Prigozhin was "likely" killed in thecrash.

On Sunday, Russianinvestigators said that genetic tests had confirmed that Prigozhinwas among the dead.

"As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular-genetic examinations have been completed," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

"According to their results, the identities of all 10 dead were established. They correspond to the list stated in the flight sheet," it said.

What about Wagner?

Russia's confirmation of Prigozhin'sdeath leaves a host of questions, not least surrounding the future of his business empire and the fallout for Putin.

"The mutiny of E.V. Prigozhin is over. And everything is just beginning," political analyst Stanislav Belkovsky said.

Analysts saw the potential for fighting over control of the Wagner Group.

"It's possible that in many ways it will become kind of a headless Game of Thronesor Sopranostype of environment, where we have competing smaller factions and smaller splinters of Wagner," said Andrew Borene, executive director of threat intelligence firm Flashpoint and a former U.S. intelligence official.

Some analysts said the assumption of Kremlin involvement may actually suit Putin's purpose.

"Whatever the reasons for the plane crash, everyone will see it as an act of retribution and reprisal, and the Kremlin will not particularly interfere with this," said Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R.Politik consultancy.

"From the point of view of Putin, as well as many among the security forces and the military, Prigozhin's death should be a lesson to any potential followers."