Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin who instigated Russia coup against Putin was on board plane that crashed in Moscow, Russian authorities say

The chief of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was on board a plane that crashed, leaving no survivors.

Seven passengers and three crew were on board the Embraer aircraft, which crashed more than 60 miles north of Moscow today (Wednesday). The Russian aviation agency say Prigozhin was on board the plane at the time.

A number of videos posted on social media appear to show the jet crashing in the Tver region while en route to St Petersburg.

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Prigozhin mounted a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in June, over dissatisfaction about the treatment of his private military company, which has fought alongside Russia’s regular army in Ukraine.

He called off the attack after a deal was brokered with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, which would supposedly see him move to Belarus.

His fate has been the subject of close scrutiny ever since after his apparent exile to Belarus, but reports have suggested he has appeared in Russia in recent months.

Prighozin made his first video appearance following the uprising this week, with the mercenary leader suggesting he was in Africa alongside Wagner fighters.

The private jet carrying three pilots and seven passengers that was travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg went down more than 60 miles north of the capital, according to officials cited by Russia’s state news agency Tass.

A UK Government spokesperson said: “We are monitoring the situation closely.”