Wagner chief Yevgeny Prighozin’s plane dropped 8,000 feet: report

The plane carrying Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prighozin had a steep 8,000-foot drop for about 30 seconds before crashing.

Reuters reported that the plane showed no sign of a problem before the crash while travelling to St. Petersburg from Moscow.

The crash, which killed 10 people, happened just 2 months after the Wagner group attempted to topple Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government.

The Embraer Legacy 600 jet experienced a “sudden downward vertical,” an official from Flightradar24 told news agency Reuters. “Whatever happened, happened quickly,” he added.

The 62-year-old’s extraordinary journey took him from being a prisoner and hot dog vendor to elegant St. Petersburg restaurateur, and then from propaganda wars to the grisly battlefields in Ukraine.

Also see: Putin opponents punished but Russia closes criminal probe into Wagner mutiny

The official also added that those onboard “may have been wrestling (with the aircraft) after whatever happened.” He clarified that there is no indication of a faulty aircraft.