Wagner chief Prigozhin confirmed dead

Russia's Investigation Committee said on Sunday the results of genetic tests had confirmed the identities of the 10 people who died in a plane crash last Wednesday and that they included the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Russia's aviation agency had previously published the names of those on board the private jet which crashed in the Tver region northwest of Moscow. They included Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, his right-hand man who helped found the Wagner group.

"As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular-genetic examinations have been completed," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement on its site on the Telegram messaging app.

"According to their results, the identities of all 10 dead were established. They correspond to the list stated in the flight sheet," it said.

The private jet crashed two months to the day after Prigozhin led an abortive mutiny against Russia's army top brass.

President Vladimir Putin described that mutiny as a treacherous "stab in the back", but later met with Prigozhin in the Kremlin. He sent his condolences on Thursday to the families of those the aviation agency said had died in the crash.