BREAKING: Yevgeny Prigozhin dead after a jet crash in Russia

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

The real headscratcher is why he flew on the same plane as his left- and right-hand men (it would have been safest to stay separate, or - failing that - to get on different planes when heading to the same destination). They made themselves into one target of opportunity, and for what?

Other than something conspiratorial (such as it being a faked death), the only other real explanation is that Prigozhin is really just that stupid.

[Former Dean Phillips Supporters for Haley (I guess???!?) 👁️]

This is a Dark Brandon moment if I have ever seen one:

https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1694427663920681134

"I know what happened to Prigozhin and I am not surprised", — Biden

[2016]

if he were going to fake his own death, this is exactly how he'd do it

I'm not saying it's impossible, but surely it'd be easier to fake your own death with a broken window than engineer the destruction of a plane and the deaths of third parties. If the reports of surface-to-air missiles being fired at the plane are true (as seems likely), then the scheme would have to involve operators of medium-range air defences, who would most likely be in the Russian army (as opposed to Wagner).

There is ONLY ONE MISSILE that can shut down an aircraft flying that high (28,000 feet) who has the range and capabilities, the BUK-S300. Remember, 28,000 Feet is 8,500 Meters almost as high as Mount Everest.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

if he were going to fake his own death, this is exactly how he'd do it

I'm not saying it's impossible, but surely it'd be easier to fake your own death with a broken window than engineer the destruction of a plane and the deaths of third parties. If the reports of surface-to-air missiles being fired at the plane are true (as seems likely), then the scheme would have to involve operators of medium-range air defences, who would most likely be in the Russian army (as opposed to Wagner).

There is ONLY ONE MISSILE that can shut down an aircraft flying that high (28,000 feet) who has the range and capabilities, the BUK-S300. Remember, 28,000 Feet is 8,500 Meters almost as high as Mount Everest.

Buk and S-300 are different. I had read some reports that it was at 10,000 ft, but if it was at 28,000 ft (where the reporting suggests it was prior to its disappearance), then yes, they would probably have needed a long range asset - so an S-300/350/400/500, or something launched from a fighter jet. This would make the scheme even trickier to execute unless the Russian military was explicitly involved in such a fakery.

Edit: it might also be possible for one of the newer Buk versions to reach this height.

[Wiswylfen]

If I was on that plane, it wouldn't have went down like it did.

[2016]

if he were going to fake his own death, this is exactly how he'd do it

I'm not saying it's impossible, but surely it'd be easier to fake your own death with a broken window than engineer the destruction of a plane and the deaths of third parties. If the reports of surface-to-air missiles being fired at the plane are true (as seems likely), then the scheme would have to involve operators of medium-range air defences, who would most likely be in the Russian army (as opposed to Wagner).

There is ONLY ONE MISSILE that can shut down an aircraft flying that high (28,000 feet) who has the range and capabilities, the BUK-S300. Remember, 28,000 Feet is 8,500 Meters almost as high as Mount Everest.

Buk and S-300 are different. I had read some reports that it was at 10,000 ft, but if it was at 28,000 ft (where the reporting suggests it was prior to its disappearance), then yes, they would have needed a long range asset - so an S-300, 400, 500, or something launched from a fighter jet. This would make the scheme even trickier to execute unless the Russian military was explicitly involved in such a fakery.

The S-300 can be launched from a Surface-to-Air Vehicle I think.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buk_missile_system

[Middle-aged Europe]

He should have tried to kill Putin when he had the chance.

[Harlow]

"I know what happened to Prigozhin and I am not surprised", — Biden

*"I don't know for fact what happened, but I am not surprised."

[HillGoose]

Sic Semper Tyrannis !

Glad he is now burning in hell with Hitler, Mao, Saddam, and all the other enemies of the people of this world !

[Oleg 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇦]

https://t.me/favt_ru/1278
Machine translation:

According to the airline, the following passengers were on board the Embraer - 135 (EBM-135BJ):

 Propustin Sergey
 Makaryan Evgeniy
 Totmin Alexander
 Chekalov Valeriy
 Utkin Dmitry
 Matuseev Nikolay
 Prigozhin Evgeniy

Oh hell, Utkin too! Of the Wagner triumvirate, only Andrei Troshev seems to have survived. I think the value of the photographs of these two corpses is over the top.

[Oleg 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇦]

https://twitter.com/ap/status/1694400517684830311?s=46&t=XC6qQa4mbo0E2oJiVU7...
Let’s be honest, can ANYBODY say that they’re surprised this happened?

I am surprised. Considering how obedient the Wagner leadership proved to be already on June 29, and what benefits Wagner brought to the Kremlin as a scarecrow in Belarus and a mine invader in Africa, this vendetta is meaningless. Killing Prigozhin and Utkin is much more appropriate for Ukrainians or Russian guerrillas than for the Kremlin.

[ꙮ]

The real headscratcher is why he flew on the same plane as his left- and right-hand men (it would have been safest to stay separate, or - failing that - to get on different planes when heading to the same destination). They made themselves into one target of opportunity, and for what?

Other than something conspiratorial (such as it being a faked death), the only other real explanation is that Prigozhin is really just that stupid.

I don’t see that as any more stupid than getting on a plane in the first place. Prigozhin wouldn’t have gone at all if he thought he was going to get shot at, and at that point there’s no reason to take separate planes.

[Oleg 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇦]

I guess it is theoretically possible this is part of the deal Prigozhin struck with Putin and he is only dead on paper. Given his notoriety, I think it'd be rather difficult for him to disappear into anonymity, though, and the obvious explanation is the most likely.

Difficult for him to disappear into anonymity? Hiding is a very common thing for him.

[2016]

Article from The Atlantics Tom Nichols

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/putin-wagner-group-prigozhin-sudden-death/675101/

Seems likely that indeed a missile struck the plane!

[Vice President Christian Man]

I didn't feel joy when hearing about his passing but I hope that his death will mean less brutality to the people who are living in Ukraine.

[oldtimer]

How delusional did Prigozhin have to be to keep jet setting to and from Moscow after his coup attempt? More or less delusional than he needed to be to launch a coup in the first place?

We can't be certain that he was on the plane, he could have been executed somewhere else earlier, and the plane used as an excuse to cover it.

Wagner and Prigozin should have defected to the West, a credible offer should have been given to them to switch sides.

LOL inviting hardened Russian mercenaries and their leader into the West was never remotely an option.

Do you know how many cutthroats defected during wars and cold wars ?

Better to have them on your side, rather than against you.

[oldtimer]

Wagner and Prigozin should have defected to the West, a credible offer should have been given to them to switch sides.

They spent 100% of their time either brutalising Ukrainians or proving why nobody could trust them.

So what ?

Does it matter if Wagner defected and captured Bakhmut for Ukraine for example ?

What matters is what is captured for which side, not by who.

[Sir Mohamed]

I'm surprised. NOT.

The moment he backed down from marching towards Russia, he signed his own death warrant. That was always clear to anyone who knows a little bit about Russia, which is de facto run like a Mafia organization.

[CumbrianLefty]

I am surprised. Considering how obedient the Wagner leadership proved to be already on June 29, and what benefits Wagner brought to the Kremlin as a scarecrow in Belarus and a mine invader in Africa, this vendetta is meaningless. Killing Prigozhin and Utkin is much more appropriate for Ukrainians or Russian guerrillas than for the Kremlin.

Do you think there is anything in the "it was the Air Force as an act of revenge" theory?

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/1694744520565354821?s=20

[Person Man]

How did he think he was going to survive without finishing the job?

[Storr]

How did he think he was going to survive without finishing the job?

I have no idea. But this is a good point, killing Prigozhin inside Russia was meant to send a message:

https://twitter.com/michaeldweiss/status/1694726531330019435?s=20

[Antonio the Sixth]

"If you come at the king, you better not miss" remains an iron law of politics.

[President Johnson]

How did he think he was going to survive without finishing the job?

I have no idea. But this is a good point, killing Prigozhin inside Russia was meant to send a message:

https://twitter.com/michaeldweiss/status/1694726531330019435?s=20

Inside Russia just seems logic because they can burry any real investigation or just conduct a fake investigation. It's much easier to control the flow of information as well. Although I don't understand why the Kremlin would even bother to claim it was an accident. It's so obvious the guy was taken out after he attempted a coup.

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/christogrozev/status/1694734580828250236?s=20