Western intelligence officials say Putin likely ordered downing of Prigozhin’s jet

The plane believed to have been carrying Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin “crashed as the result of an assassination plot,” reported the Wall Street Journal, referencing U.S. officials. According to the U.S. authorities’ preliminary findings, either a bomb exploded aboard the plane or a different form of sabotage caused the crash.

According to American and Western officials, a blast inside the cabin is the leading theory for the cause of the crash, writes The New York Times. The officials say that the reason for the explosion was either a bomb or another device placed on board. There are other possible theories, including the possibility that the fuel was adulterated. The American intelligence community is in the early stages of assessing what could have caused the crash, writes CNN.

American intelligence agencies have not detected missile launches near the crash site and there is no other evidence that the business jet was destroyed using a surface-to-air missile, write The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Reuters, however, has reported that the plane was shot down using a surface-to-air missile, according to U.S. officials’ preliminary information. The Financial Times also reported this, referencing an anonymous Western official. The Telegram channel Grey Zone, which is connected to Wagner Group, wrote that the plane may have been shot down by a missile. Military experts have also been considering this possibility.

Based on satellite imagery of the crash site published by CNN, journalists concluded that the plane’s fuselage was largely intact when it hit the ground.

American and European officials told The New York Times on condition of anonymity that they believe Vladimir Putin ordered the downing of Prigozhin’s plane. A high-ranking Western intelligence official told The New York Times that, judging by the multiple indications assessed by the authorities, Prigozhin was onboard the downed plane. American sources reported that U.S. intelligence has not confirmed Prigozhin’s death, even though several officials have said that Prigozhin most likely died in the plane crash. Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder reported that Prigozhin likely died. Wagner Group has not officially confirmed Prigozhin’s death.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said that it doesn’t see any grounds for a terrorism probe — the investigation is currently looking for evidence of flight safety violations. According to the Telegram channel Shot, the investigation is focused on the theory that an explosive device had been planted in the plane’s landing gear compartment. Telegram channel Mash says “careless handling of ammunition” is also being considered as another possible cause of the crash — firearms, ammunition, and grenades were found at the crash site. The Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets reported that, not long before the flight, the plane was sent for turbine cooling repair. While being serviced, the aircraft had been parked outdoors at the Sheremetyevo airport.