Did Prigozhin Fake His Own Death? Analyzing the Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories are swirling around the possible death of notorious Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin after a plane crashed over Russian territory on Wednesday.

Russia's civil aviation authority said that a private jet listing former Kremlin ally Prigozhin as a passenger had crashed north of Moscow, killing all 10 people on board the aircraft. The passengers included Dmitry Utkin, a former Russian officer with the call sign, "Wagner," who is thought to have co-founded the mercenary outfit.

The crash happened two months to the day after Prigozhin led a short-lived armed rebellion against the Kremlin, with his forces seizing the southern city of Rostov-on-Don before marching towards the Russian capital. The mutiny was called off in a deal said to have been brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.