Yevgeny Prigozhin was a cruel warlord who did Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dirty work, but he also revealed the leader's weakness amid the stalled Ukraine offensive.
Putin described Prigozhin as a talented businessman whom he had known since the 1990s and said the investigation into the crash would take time.
Russian investigators opened a criminal probe but there has been no official word from Moscow on what may have caused Wednesday evening's crash.
Mirilashvili's legal team said that the defaming claims, made on social media, stem from the belief that the Georgian-born businessman is the owner of Channel 14.
There has been no official comment from the Kremlin or the Defense Ministry on the fate of Prigozhin but a Telegram channel linked to his Wagner mercenary group, Grey Zone, pronounced him dead.
Russian investigators opened a criminal probe. Some unnamed sources told Russian media they believed the plane had been shot down.
All ten people on board the aircraft died in the crash, according to the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry.
"The Wagner Group is likely moving towards a down-sizing and reconfiguration process, largely to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure," said the UK Defense Ministry.
This month, Poland began moving more than 1,000 troops to the east of the country amid rising concerns that the presence of Wagner fighters in Belarus could lead to increased tension on its border.
Prigozhin confirmed to Afrique Media that a new rotation of Wagner forces had recently arrived in the Central African Republic ahead of a constitutional referendum on July 30
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