Surviving in the World: Prigozhin Killed in a Catastrophic Plane Crash
Welcome back to Surviving in the World (SIW), your newsletter written by students for those interested in global affairs. We always try to present select topics in global news in an easy-to-understand format.
​​
Today’s letter covers the catastrophic plane crash that killed Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group.
Brought to you by: Elin Kim (’26).
​
Word Count: 374 / Time: 2.5 minute read.
​
​
Prigozhin, Leader of the Wagner Group, Killed in a Catastrophic Plane Crash
​
What happened?: On August 21, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, was killed in a private plane crash just outside Moscow.
Footage from a Russian state media agency revealed a plane falling vertically from the sky, then burning on the ground.
​
Burning remains of Prigozhin’s crashed jet (Source: AP News)
Analyses from the New York Times indicate a “catastrophic midair event” minutes before the jet crashed.
​
-
This raises the potential of an explosion rather than a mechanical failure.
​
Who was Mr. Prigozhin?: Mr. Prigozhin, who worked with Mr. Putin closely in his lifetime, was assigned extremely important tasks related to the Kremlin.
​
-
Being the leader of the Wagner military force, Mr. Prigozhin demonstrated military effectiveness and strong brutality in countries like Syria, Libya, and Mali.
However, Mr. Prigozhin had also led a revolt against the Russian military this June, challenging Mr. Putin’s two-decade dictatorship.
​
-
In a 30-minute video, he infamously stated that the “invasion of Ukraine was a ‘racket’ perpetrated by a corrupt elite chasing money and glory without concern for Russian lives.”
-
Mr. Putin referred to Mr. Prigozhin as “a person with a complicated fate.” As Mr. Putin says, Prigozhin “made some serious mistakes in life, but [...] also achieved necessary results.
​
Investigations by US authorities suggest that Mr. Putin was behind Mr. Prigozhin’s death.
The Kremlin’s Response: The Kremlin denied its involvement in the plane crash, citing such theories as “an absolute lie.”
The US, however, confirmed that their leading theory involved an explosion during the journey, “possibly caused by a bomb or other device planted on the aircraft.
​
-
Many officials stated that Mr. Putin ordered the assassination of Mr. Prigozhin -- a military leader whom the Kremlin considered a threat.
​
Why should you care?
In the past, Putin's enemies have been known to meet untimely but quieter ends. Many of his adversaries, in recent years, have died after allegedly falling out open windows or from consuming poisoned food.
Catrina Doxsee, an associate director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, states, “It's a clear message that if you are going to be the next Prigozhin, you can die just as easily.”
​​
​
​​​​​​​​​​​
You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from SIW
Want to change how you receive these emails?
