Black box of Prigozhin's plane discovered during crash investigation

Evgeny Prigozhin is believed to have died after the crash. Photo: AP

Russian investigators found a black box of a flight recorder in the possession of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. the plane that crashed near Moscow earlier this week.

The investigative committee also said that the bodies found at the crash site will undergo a genetic examination to confirm their identity.

It is believed that Prigozhin, along with other leaders of the Wagner mercenary group, was on the plane that mysteriously fell out of the sky on Wednesday. No concrete evidence of their death has yet been presented.

«The investigation will carefully check all possible versions of what happened,» the committee said on Telegram. It added that items and documentation that are important for establishing all the circumstances of the disaster are «also confiscated» for a forensic medical examination.

Despite the discovery of both recording devices and bodies, it could be a long time before the results of an official investigation are known. The black boxes contain a huge amount of flight data for analysis, as well as audio recordings of the cockpit.

Russian authorities have said they need to wait for DNA results to confirm Prigozhin's death, but Vladimir Putin has already expressed his condolences.

Subsequently, the Russian leader ordered the Wagner fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state, according to a decree published on the Kremlin's website late Friday evening with immediate effect.

Kremlin denies involvement

The Kremlin on Friday denied allegations that they had anything to do with the mysterious plane crash, exactly two months after Prigozhin's short-lived rebellion.

Western officials said they firmly believe the crash was not an accident.

British Military intelligence said on Friday there was not yet conclusive evidence that Prigozhin was on board, but it was «very likely» that he was dead.

The Pentagon said its own initial assessment was that Prigozhin was assassinated.< /p>

The Kremlin's involvement in the death of the mercenary leader would likely mean that the investigation would only lead to predetermined results.

< p>Joe Biden said Friday night that Washington is working to «pinpoint» what caused Prigozhin's plane to go down.

The crash raised questions about the future of Prigozhin's private army, which fought alongside the Russians troops in Ukraine before his short-lived uprising.