After a transport plane landed in Mali this weekend, the plane was reportedly set on fire – with videos showing a violent explosion circulating on social media. Explosive: There would have been mercenaries from the Wagner group on board; there are reports of 140 dead fighters.
The plane that exploded is believed to be a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane. During landing in Gao on Saturday, the vehicle overshot the runway and burst into flames with a huge fireball. The machine is said to have been operated by a company from Belarus. The country is considered a close ally of Russia. The Il-76 was probably used by the Malian army.
The plane probably landed too late on the 2,500 meter long runway. The machine needs about 500 meters to brake safely. However, it is unlikely that this happened. The pilot is said to have been Russian.
It was reported on social media that the plane was linked to the Wagner mercenary group – whose fighters operate in Mali and are heavily involved in military operations. The Telegram channel VChK-OGPU explained: “According to preliminary information, mercenaries from PMC Wagner could be on board.” Critical government media in Mali also reported a connection to the mercenary group. The Telgram channel Gray Zone, which is attributed to the private militia, denied these reports.
Mercenary boss Prigozhin also died on the plane
Just a few weeks ago, the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and other high-ranking figures in the private military were killed in a plane crash in Russia. The Wagner boss had fallen from grace because of the march on Moscow he initiated, in which the 62-year-old and his private army rose up against the Russian leadership. The crash is believed to have been a Kremlin contract killing.
Source: Krone
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