Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has been reportedly killed following a plane crash in Russia, along with nine other passengers.
Russian authorities claim the Wagner chief was listed on the passenger roster of a private jet, which is said to have crashed in the Tver region, north of Moscow.
Seven passengers and three crew were on board the Embraer aircraft, which was travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg, it has been claimed.
Prigozhin led an attempted mutiny against the Russian armed forces in June.
Just two days ago, the warlord shared his first video address since his aborted mutiny.
The chief was sent to Belarus in the aftermath of the coup and has since released footage of himself speaking while wearing camouflage and holding a rifle.
Video footage of the plane falling out of the sky before later being seen burning in a field is now circulating social media.
A channel linked to Wagner said the aircraft had been shot down by air defences, but this has not yet been confirmed.
