What Yevgeny Prigozhin’s presumed death means for Ukraine – BBC News

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed to have died in a plane crash near Moscow, which killed all 10 people on board - and while his death has yet to be officially confirmed, Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid tribute to his former ally.

The mercenary group has been active on the battlefields of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, and Volodymyr Havrylov, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine told the BBC that Prigozhin’s death could have an impact on the “confidence and morale” of Wagner troops – particularly among the lower ranks.

Meanwhile, the UK defence ministry has said that although there is “no definite proof” that Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board the plane which crashed, it “is highly likely that he is indeed dead”.