What we know about the Prigozhin air crash

▪️On Wednesday, 23rd August, an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet crashed on its way from Moscow to Saint Petersburg, carrying seven passengers and three crew members, according to Russia’s emergency services ministry. The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency published the passenger list, which includes Yevgeny Prigozhin and six other members of the Wagner group.

▪️Flight data that have been analysed show that the aircraft reached an altitude of around 28,000 feet (FL280) before suddenly ceasing to transmit ADS-B and transponder data. In a video published by a Russian media shortly after the accident, a plane can be seen diving with a missing vertical stabiliser or maybe one of its wings, before crashing to the ground. However, the authenticity of the video cannot be confirmed at this stage.

▪️Theories about the crash range from an explosion onboard to anti-aircraft fire, but no confirmed cause have been announced so far. Russian authorities said they were investigating and conducting search operations, while some residents in the area claim to have seen "a plane coming down quickly in a spin, trailing a lot of smoke". All ten bodies, and the two flight recorders have been found by investigators, which could shed light on the causes of the accident.