We do know this just in to CNN,
and that is that the transponders
of a promotion
linked plane
stopped stopped transmission mission
at 6:13 p.m.
local time.
This according to flight tracking
data CNN.
We should note, as previously reported
on this particular plane,
based on its transponder signal,
no planes send out these things.
So you know what the plane is, which,
according to CNN's reporting,
has previously been linked
to promotions companies.
And that same plane had been used
in the past to Ferry Pago
from Rostov on Don,
which became the headquarters
for his attempted coup against Putin.
You may remember it was.
That's where the tanks
and the armored personnel carriers
carrying his forces
drove up towards Moscow on that day
two months ago.
That plane
that stopped transmitting at six 13.
And if that video is
what it purports
to be
shows when it stopped
transmitting is a plane
that, based on past
movements is one that
promotion has used
and flown on many times before.
And this is key, very key.
The data does not show a steep descent
before the plane stopped
transmitting data
over that Russian region of
to where it was in a sudden.
That's right.
A sudden catastrophic event
is what it seems to indicate.
And that matches the video
that we just showed
where you
see the plane falling out of the sky,
it appears, in
what appears to be
the apparent demise of that plane.
Listen, this is quite a moment
at the top of the hour here.
Again, if you're just joining.
CNN is reporting
is that the Wagner
boss, Prigozhin,
who led a failed coup against Putin,
was among the passengers on board
that plane
you see there falling to the ground
in a cloud of smoke bursting into flames.
Four bodies already recovered
from that wreckage.
Russian state media reporting
that Prigozhin
seen there broadcasting in a video
just released two days ago
that he was on board that plane.
A truly remarkable event
among a series of remarkable events
that we've covered on this broadcast
and on this network in recent months,
including that day two months ago
when it looked
like Prigozhin was
carrying out
the biggest challenge
to Putin's leadership
since he took power.
And now
that burning wreckage on the ground
that burning wreckage
on the ground believe.
Our Jill
Dougherty is also with us
now, Jill Dougherty, who has covered
Russia
extensively through the years,
Jill Dougherty.
Tell us your reaction.
You know
as well as anyone that Putin has killed
other rivals before, many of them
both inside Russian territory
and outside Russian territory,
with the proviso that we don't know
for certain collusion was on this plane.
What is your reaction
to seeing this news as
reported by state media
You know, it is shocking.
However, I think it is predictable.
Many people were predicting that
it was just a matter of time
not knowing exactly how it would happen.
But Prigozhin
had a rebellion against Putin.
And no matter which way you slice it.
Putin does not forgive
And so
I think this period of a couple of months
where they were able
the Kremlin
was able to dismantle precautions,
know you know, industry that he had,
which included
troll farms and the Viognier forces, etc.
That is pretty much under way.
So I think this was a good moment
to say goodbye to him.
Of course,
we don't know,
you know, details,
but other people have died
thinking of at least one person
back in the nineties
who died in a plane crash
who was a very important
political figure.
So this is not rare.
And it will be very, very interesting
to see
what happens to Viognier,
because the other reports,
although I haven't been in communication,
so I don't know whether the second
in command was killed as well.
But that would give us total
control of Viognier
and its work in Africa
and many other places
back to Kremlin supporting people.
Very, very important point there.
I think
also we have to look at the context
in which
this is happening
as we are still searching
for some details here.
What we do know at this point
is that
according to Russian state media,
they're saying that he was on this plane.
What we do know
is that he was on the passenger list
for this plane
that appears to have crashed
north of Moscow. Jill.
But listen, in the last two months,
exactly two months
since this
sort of mini coup that petered out
since it happened,
but obviously not something
Vladimir Putin wanted.
You've seen a purge of generals.
We learned that General saw
a weakened who, by the way,
we haven't seen since that mutiny.
We learned
just in recent hours
that he's gotten the boot
and then this happens.
I mean, there is
there are a series of things
that have happened
just here in recent hours that have been
in an understated way.
Unfortunate
for enemies of Vladimir Putin.
And at this point, you know, he's
I think Putin
at this point
is looking at how he can reorganize
control of the army control
and security forces,
because as we've been saying,
even though they are holding the line
with this counter operation,
by the Ukrainians,
they're still not doing very well.
The military's not doing very well.
And there is a lot of criticism
not only from people that say,
you know, on the outside
who are criticizing this war,
but people inside Russia
who are really extreme
and want the war to be waged
even more brutally So that is a lot.
And, you know,
I think it was Churchill
who said
fighting under the rug, dogs
fighting under the rug.
And I think that's what we're seeing.
We don't know exactly where it's going.
But you can certainly say that
some people,
at least one
important person who was a major figure
and not really controllable either.
I would add that,
no, Prigozhin hasn't exactly been quiet
on social media since this happened.
So he was I think it's threat to Putin.
At least his message was a threat.
And ultimately,
this may be what happened with Putin.
We don't know.
But then Putin got rid of him.
As we've been saying, it is
Russian state media
reporting that
Prigozhin was on the passenger
list on this plane.
We don't yet have confirmation
that promotion was on the plane.
We do know this.
That video of debris of that plane
shows the plane engine
and that a registration
number on that engine,
the last four digits
matched that of a plane
belonging to Prigozhin.
And that as we mentioned
earlier, CNN has tracked him using such
a plane on prior trips
in and around Russia.
Again, more information connecting
that plane going down there
as you're seeing in the video.
And then the wreckage of which
will show momentarily there on fire.
But that video
coming in
to CNN shows
a registration number on a jet there
that matches information
tied to a jet owned, not just owned
and by Prigozhin,
but one that he has traveled on before.
That's right.
And let's go to Nick Paton Walsh.
I understand, Nick,
you have some
reaction from inside of Ukraine,
because the big question here is
how is this going to shape
the dynamics of this war?
What are you hearing from your sources
Yeah, look,
we've had
a lower level official,
I think it's fair to say, an adviser
to the interior ministry,
well known in the media. Anton, get a.
But he has said
if negotiations death is confirmed,
I think we'll be fairly
certain Putin gave this order.
He did
not and was not going to forgive
the humiliation
by Prigozhin in June,
referring to that failed mutiny
but in March, the walls in the tanks
and vehicles on Moscow.
He goes on to suggest that sort of
he can and perhaps
another Russian commander
associated with Prigozhin
might want to be sure
that their earthly affairs are ignored.
And now this is what
you might expect to happen.
Ukrainians seizing upon this moment
the possibility
Prigozhin is dead that we do not know
at this stage to be the case.
But it's important to point out
that his role in the war here
was significantly reduced
after that mutiny, as indeed
you might expect.
He went against the Russian top brass
and said,
you are not doing a good enough job
in this and challenge Putin in ways.
And I think even
Prigozhin didn't think he was doing
when he started
that move towards
Rostov in the south, up towards Moscow.
And so Virginia since has been reduced
from the front lines.
Western officials
have suggested, indeed, that
their funding has begun to collapse.
Putin was very open
in the days afterwards.
How they given essentially billions
to Prigozhin, the supposed secret
secret, deniable for a group
to build their presence in Africa
and indeed fight in
some of the toughest places
on the Russian front lines
in occupied Ukraine.
On behalf of Russia.
But Western officials suggesting
perhaps that the money
had begun to dry up.
So Volcker
was beginning to look disheveled.
No real better words than that
to describe Yevgeny Prigozhin
when he popped up on a video
in Telegram in Africa
just in the last 48 hours,
he did not look particularly happy
at all.
But talked about potentially expanding
father's role in Africa.
And so the thought had really been, well,
maybe Prigozhin has been out of favor,
obviously, with the Kremlin,
maybe has too much political currency
for Putin to arrest him
or take him out of circulation.
Maybe he's being allowed
to keep going on a lower level.
Clearly, with his wings clipped
perhaps because of the failure
of that rebellion,
maybe his men are being moved to Belarus.
But Belarus's president was never that
welcoming, frankly.
I think
also neato neighbors of Belarus
deeply concerned
of the potential of following,
of being there and,
say, the sudden arrival
of Prigozhin again in Africa, perhaps.
Explain
maybe that might have been the get out
for Putin, exile in Africa,
for Prigozhin,
but that doesn't really fit
with the Putin that we know
massively weakened
by the armed rebellion.
Make no mistake,
he has not suddenly recovered.
He's been on a PR offensive
since then, desperately
trying to claw back that image
as the infallible strongman,
utterly shattered by what Prigozhin did.
And so it would have been odd,
frankly, for the long term
observers of the Kremlin
to see Prigozhin continue
in public
life, healthy,
essentially untouched
by that extraordinary decision
to challenge Putin in the most overt
challenge he'd
seen since he came to power in 1999.
And so, yes, what we're hearing
today is in keeping with what we know
Putin is about,
but we know so little really about
who was really on that plane
and where Prigozhin is now.
And as I said before, Jim,
if I was Prigozhin
now, I would not be popping up in public
anytime soon
to tell everybody where I am.
And that I'm safe.