BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday that UK defense sources believe that the plane that crashed while former Wagner mercenary group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was on board, was likely brought down by Russia’s Federal Security Service.
The Federal Security Service is Russia's primary security agency. It is Russia's successor to the KGB of the Soviet Union.
The theory buttresses Thursday’s Reuters report that the United States believes the plane was downed by a surface-to-air missile originating from inside Russia.
Gardner adds that the downing of Prigozhin’s plane was likely conducted “to strengthen [the] position of Prigozhin’s enemies: Shoigu and Gerasimov.”
UK defence sources tell BBC: Prigozhin’s plane most likely brought down by Russia’s FSB domestic intel agency. Likely to strengthen position of Prigozhin’s enemies: Shoigu and Gerasimov. #Prigozhin
— Frank Gardner (@FrankRGardner) August 24, 2023
Also on Thursday, The New York Times posted a video purporting to show footage of Prigozhin's plane falling from the sky. As the plane plummets down, despite apparent attempts to remain level, it begins to flip as it hurtles toward the ground. It leaves a thick trail of smoke behind it as it falls.
Reuters reported on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin broke his silence following the silence crash to send condolences to Prigozhin's family.
Putin's condolences come approximately two months after the former Wagner leader initiated a brief rebellion against Russia.
Against the backdrop of UK and US speculations about the nature of the plane crash, Reuters noted that Russian investigators have opened a probe into the occurrence, but have yet to offer any explanations for the cause of the crash.
Later, in a tribute to Prigozhin, Putin praised the former as a talented businessman whom he had known for decades. He added, however, that Prigozhin "was a man with a difficult fate, and he made serious mistakes in life."
Previous Putin opponents
In a separate article on Thursday, Reuters reported former Putin foes who faced covert assassination attempts.
The report highlights a number of Putin opponents, many of whom, including Alexei Navalny, Sergei Skripal, Alexander Litvinenko, and Viktor Yushchenko, were all poisoned.