Brazilian Aircraft Manufacturer Embraer SA Distances Itself From Fatal Russian Jet Crash

News rapidly spread on Wednesday of a horrific plane crash outside of Moscow, with reports coming in the notable Wagner Group's founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was among the passengers on board.

Prigozhin has been a controversial figure, recently known for challenging the prolonged reign of President Vladimir Putin, which adds considerable intrigue to this tragic event.

Embraer SA, the Brazilian manufacturer responsible for the aircraft involved, a Legacy 600 model, promptly responded to the incident, stating that the jet hadn't received support services since 2019.

The official spokesman for Embraer SA clarified that their lack of involvement stands in compliance with international sanctions imposed on Russia.

It was revealed that the aircraft, produced in 2007, had found itself on the US Treasury Department sanctions list in 2019 under a previous registration.

Flashback to a Treasury Department release, it was clear that the actions were taken against Russian entities that sought to sway the result of the 2018 US Midterm elections, Mr. Prigozhin and the aircraft specifically mentioned.

Before this fateful crash in Russia's Tver region, there had only been one report of an accident involving the Legacy 600 throughout its two-decade-long service.

In fact, close to 300 of this aircraft model were manufactured before production stopped in 2020, and the previous mishap took place back in 2006, ending in a collision with a Boeing 737-800 and the tragic loss of 154 lives.

Information about Wednesday's crash comes from various sources, reporting that the private jet was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg when disaster struck.

Reports following the crash confirmed that Prigozhin was among the passengers, an assertion backed by the Federal Air Transport Agency, but the news of his death wasn’t confirmed until later.

In late June, Prigozhin disrupted the political landscape with what many considered the most significant challenge to Putin's regime in his 23-year rule.

With his mercenary army of 25,000, Prigozhin advanced to within 125 miles of Moscow before recalling the troops home and crossing borders into Belarus for exile.

Afterwards, the same aircraft that suffered this tragic fate was seen making a trip from Belarus to Russia.

An investigation is currently underway into the bleak crash of the Embraer aircraft.