Private plane crashed in Russia, including Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had previously led a failed coup against Putin

In Russia, a private plane crashes, killing all 10 people on board, including Evgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian armed group Wagner, who led a failed coup against Russian President Vladimir Putin two months ago.

The Russian Civil Aviation Authority said that all 10 people on board a private plane were killed in a crash, and that Evgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian armed group Wagner, was also among the passengers.

Wagner is the same group that led a failed armed coup against Russian President Vladimir Putin two months ago, and Prigozhin was leading the operation.

A Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner claims that an Embraer plane was shot down by Russia's air defense system in the Tyur area north of Moscow.

The private plane, which was flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg, was carrying seven passengers and three crew members.

The Telegram channel said that local residents heard two explosions before the crash and saw two smoke trails in the sky.

The Tass news agency said that the plane caught fire after it crashed, adding that eight bodies have been recovered from the plane.

The agency said that the plane was in the air for less than half an hour.

The 62-year-old Prigozhin led an armed coup against the Russian president on June 23 and 24, moving his fighters from Ukraine and taking control of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and threatening to advance on Moscow.

The move came after months of tension with Russian military commanders over the conflict in Ukraine.

The conflict was resolved through an agreement that allowed Wagner fighters to go to Belarus or join the Russian army.

Prigozhin himself had agreed to move to Belarus, but he apparently managed to move around freely. He was seen in Russia after that, and he is reportedly also visited Africa.

The Russian government has not yet issued a statement on the matter, but Adrian Watson, the U.S. national security spokesman, said that Prigozhin's possible death is not surprising if his history with Russian President Putin is taken into account.

He said, "We have received reports of the plane's destruction, and if they are confirmed, no one should be surprised."