Russia says Wagner chief Prigozhin confirmed dead in plane crash

Russian investigators confirmed that Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash earlier this week, according to Russian media on Sunday.

"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.

On August 23, a private Embraer plane en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed in the Tver region, killing the 10 people aboard, according to the country's Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday sent his condolences to the family of Yevgeny Prigozhin, breaking his silence, describing him as a "talented businessman" but also as a flawed character who "made serious mistakes in life".

According to a list later released by Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport, Prigozhin and Wagner group's co-founder and commander Dmitry Utkin were among the 10 who died in the crash.

（CGTN)