Zelenskyy says Ukraine not involved in crash of Wagner Group owner Prigozhin's plane
Prigozhin was allegedly killed alongside nine others in a plane crash in Russian airspace
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied any involvement in the alleged death of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Prigozhin was allegedly killed alongside nine others Wednesday in a plane crash in Russian airspace.
"We are not involved in this situation, that's for sure," the president told the public Thursday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}RUSSIAN WAGNER GROUP WARLORD PRIGOZHIN AMONG DEAD ON PLANE THAT CRASHED, KILLING 10, OFFICIALS SAY
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi during an event dedicated to Ukraine's Independence Day on August 24, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. On August 24, Ukraine celebrates its 1991 declaration of independence from the USSR. ( Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
I think everyone is aware of who is involved," he added, alluding to widespread allegations that the Russian government is responsible for the plane crash.
The warlord's business jet was traveling from the Russian capital to St. Petersburg when it went down in the Tver region, according to the TASS news agency.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Prigozhin was listed among the passengers, according to the Federal Air Transport Agency," read a post by TASS on Telegram. "An investigation into the crash of the Embraer aircraft has been launched, the department noted."
Portraits of Yevgeny Prigozhin (L) and Dmitry Utkin (R), a shadowy figure who managed Wagner's operations and allegedly served in Russian military intelligence, are seen at the makeshift memorial in front of the PMC Wagner office in Novosibirsk, on August 24, 2023. Russian state-run news agencies on August 23, 2023, said that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group that led a mutiny against Russia's army in June, was on the list of passengers of a plane that crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver region. (VLADIMIR NIKOLAYEV/AFP via Getty Images)
There is no concrete evidence that Prigozhin is among the 10 reported to have died in the crash, but Russian state media claims he perished in the crash.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Pentagon told Fox News Digital that it is monitoring the situation.
"We have seen the reports. If confirmed, no one should be surprised," White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. "The disastrous war in Ukraine led to a private army marching on Moscow, and now — it would seem — to this."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi speaks during the ceremony, which took place on National Flag Day on August 23, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. The President presents the National Legend of Ukraine award to citizens who have made a significant contribution to the development of the national economy, science, education, culture, art, sports, and healthcare, as well as for active charitable and public activities. ((Photo by Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images))
The Kremlin has used the Wagner Group since 2014 as a tool to expand Russia's presence in the Middle East and Africa.
Prigozhin spent months criticizing Russia's military performance in Ukraine before he called for an armed uprising on June 23 to oust the defense minister and headed from Ukraine toward Moscow with his mercenaries.
Under a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin agreed to end his rebellion in exchange for amnesty for himself and his fighters and permission to relocate to Belarus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russian billionaire and Concord catering company owner Yevgeny Prigozhin attends a meeting with foreign investors at Konstantin Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
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Putin branded Prigozhin vowed harsh punishment for those responsible for the uprising, but the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped. The Kremlin said Putin had a three-hour meeting with Prigozhin and Wagner Group commanders days after the rebellion.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.