Is Wagner chief Prigozhin still alive? Will he rise from the dead AGAIN? Putin’s chef was declared dead in 2019 plane crash only to reappear three days later… and was filmed with comrade also ‘killed’ in latest crash saying ‘death is not the end’

As reports circulate that the dreaded Wagnerian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin has been killed in a plane crash near Moscow, it has emerged that the mercenary boss was pronounced dead in another 2019 aviation disaster – only to resurface three days later.

Prigozhin has been listed by Russian authorities as one of 10 passengers aboard a doomed plane that crashed in a ball of flames, killing everyone on board – two months to the day after he led a short-lived rally against Moscow.

But there is still no confirmation that Prigozhin, who has been a thorn in Vladimir Putin’s side since the start of the war in Ukraine, was killed in the plane crash.

And this isn’t the first time Prigozhin has been pronounced dead in a plane crash, only to resurface alive and well three days later – leading some to wonder if the Wagner warlord has “raised from the dead” for a second time. could get up’.

In October 2019, an An-27 military aircraft with eight people on board crashed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the time, it was reported that Prigozhin was on board and under the father, but three days later he was found to be alive.

And Keir Giles, of the Chatham House think tank, said several individuals are known to have changed their names to Yevgeny Prigozhin as part of his efforts to cover up his travels and protect himself from murder. “Let’s not be surprised if he shows up in a new video from Africa soon,” he said.

It comes as footage emerged of Prigozhin speaking to his Wagner deputy commander, who is also reportedly among those killed in the latest plane crash, saying ‘death is not the end’ and ‘we are all going to hell’ .

In the chilling video, Dmitry Utkin told Prigozhin, “Death is not the end, it’s just the beginning of something else,” to which the Wagner chief responded, “Yes, we’re all going to hell, but going to hell we’ll be the best.’

Although there is no official confirmation of Prigozhin’s death, the warlord’s supporters have claimed that he is dead and called him a hero and patriot who they believe was killed by unidentified people whom they called “traitors to Russia”.

But the Russian Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating the crash, confirmed this morning that 10 people died in the crash, with no mention of Prigozhin.

On Thursday morning, Russian officials stretched black body bags from a wooded area at the crash site. Parts of the plane’s tail and other fragments lay on the ground near where forensic investigators had set up a tent.

Whoever or whatever was behind the crash, Prigozhin’s death would relieve Putin of someone who had faced the most serious challenge to the Russian leader’s authority since he came to power in 1999.

Others who have opposed Putin or his interests have also died under unclear circumstances or are near death, including outspoken political leaders and journalists. The Kremlin has always denied any state involvement in such incidents.

Prigozhin’s death would also leave the Wagner group, which incurred Putin’s wrath in June by staging a failed armed mutiny against the military’s top ranks, leaderless and raise questions about its future operations in Africa and elsewhere .

The crashed Brazilian Embraer Legacy 600 model of a corporate jet has recorded just one accident in its more than 20 years of service, according to the website International Aviation HQ, and it was not due to mechanical failure.

Embraer said it has complied with international sanctions imposed on Russia and has not performed any maintenance on the aircraft since 2019.

According to flight tracking data, the plane showed no signs of a problem until a steep descent in the last 30 seconds.

Video footage shows how the plane fell from the sky on Wednesday in the Bologovsky district of the Tver region, 90 kilometers north of Moscow. A burning wreckage, which appears to be an aircraft, was later seen in a field, with unconfirmed footage showing it completely engulfed in flames.

Prigozhin, 62, has become increasingly cautious since he led a coup against Putin’s regime exactly two months ago.

After its failure, he had been warned that his life was in danger. He was known to take great care of his safety and it is rumored that he did not board the ill-fated plane despite state television claiming otherwise.

Sources close to him said that although the plane was his, he usually flew another plane.

Another plane, also believed to have connections to Prigozhin, was discovered “zigzagging” over Moscow in the aftermath of the crash, fueling speculation that the Wagner boss may not have been on board after all.

The available tracking data for the downed plane appears to show it rising to about 29,000 feet, before suddenly vanishing and dropping to 0 feet.

A transmitter linked to Wagner said the plane was shot down by air defenses, but this has not yet been confirmed.

Prigozhin led the mutiny on June 23 and 24 against the top ranks of the Russian military, which Putin said could have plunged Russia into civil war. Wagner fighters shot down Russian attack helicopters during the uprising, killing an unconfirmed number of pilots, enraging the military.

He had also spent months criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine and had tried to overthrow Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Many Russians had wondered how he could get away with such brutal criticism without consequence.

The mutiny was ended by an apparent agreement with the Kremlin, whereby Prigozhin agreed to move to neighboring Belarus. But in practice, it appeared that he could move freely within Russia following the agreement that allegedly guaranteed his personal safety.

Prigozhin posted a video speech on Monday that he suggested was made in Africa. He attended a summit between Russia and Africa in Saint Petersburg in July.

According to unconfirmed reports in the Russian media, Prigozhin and his associates attended a meeting with officials from the Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday.