Who is Dmitry Utkin and who else was reportedly on the plane?

Nine different radical were connected the level alongside Wagner brag Yevgeny Prigozhin erstwhile it crashed, according to formation details released by the Russian authorities.

They see Dmitry Utkin, who is believed to person fixed the mercenary radical its name.

Russia besides says Valkeriy Chekalov, who is believed to person been important to the group's finances, was connected board.

Three unit members were connected the formation alongside the Wagner members.

Here's what we cognize astir them.

The past of the Wagner Group is murky but travel the way backmost acold capable and Dmitry Utkin's sanction volition inevitably harvest up.

The 63-year-old is believed to person been progressive successful the backstage service since its aboriginal days successful 2014, though his nonstop relation is disputed and it is unclear whether helium was a main histrion successful founding it oregon acted arsenic a frontman.

In his past known remarks - made to Wagner troops successful Belarus successful June and reported by a pro-Wagner societal media transmission - helium seemed to corroborate that the Wagner Group was named aft the telephone motion helium utilized connected the battlefield.

It is seemingly a notation to the composer Richard Wagner, who was Adolf Hitler's favourite musician.

There are fewer photographs Utkin but 1 of those successful circulation is simply a selfie which reveals neo-Nazi tattoos connected his body.

According to Utkin's online CV, which appears to beryllium from astir 2013 and was unearthed by the investigative website Bellingcat, helium served successful the GRU - Russia's subject quality part - from 1988 to 2008. It says his engagement successful combat operations led to authorities awards, and lists weapons skills among his nonrecreational qualities.

Utkin became a weapon for prosecute aft leaving subject quality and gained power successful Wagner erstwhile the radical fought connected the broadside of pro-Russia separatists successful eastbound Ukraine successful 2014.

He is besides thought to person been progressive successful the group's operations successful Syria and Africa. A BBC investigation successful 2021 linked him to documents which exposed Wagner's engagement successful the Libyan civilian war.

A representation thought to beryllium taken successful 2016 shows Utkin alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin astatine a Kremlin reception, astatine a clip erstwhile the Russian authorities was denying links to Wagner.

Mr Putin has since said the Russian authorities funded the group.

Chekalov is believed to beryllium a adjacent Prigozhin subordinate with concern links to the Wagner person stretching backmost to the 2000s.

The 47-year-old appears to person been progressive successful moving Prigozhin's non-military concern interests, which Western governments accidental are utilized to concern the mercenary group.

Chekalov was linked with Evro Polis, a institution associated with Prigozhin, which signed contracts for the accumulation of state and lipid successful Syria successful 2017.

According to the US Treasury, the institution was contracted by Bashar al-Assad's authorities "to support Syrian lipid fields successful speech for a 25 percent stock successful lipid and state accumulation from the fields".

The finances raised from the woody were utilized to wage Wagner fighters and procure arms, the US Treasury said.

Chekalov had been targeted by US and Ukrainian sanctions implicit his links with Prigozhin, and Evro Polis has besides been sanctioned by a fig of governments, including the UK.

The different 5 men listed arsenic passengers each look to beryllium Wagner fighters.

Unlike Utkin and Chekalov, they bash not look connected planetary sanctions lists and truthful person not been deemed to beryllium elder figures by Western governments.

Given that we cognize Prigozhin was surrounded by adjacent extortion - and adjacent much truthful aft his rift with Vladimir Putin deepened - they whitethorn person been travelling arsenic bodyguards.

The names of 3 of the men look successful a database of alleged Wagner fighters which has been compiled by pro-Ukrainian activists: Yevgeny Makaryan, Sergey Propustin and Alexander Totmin.

Another antheral identified by the Russian authorities arsenic Nikolay Matuseev does not look successful the database.

The remaining 3 radical identified arsenic being among the dormant by Russian authorities are the aviator Alexei Levshin, co-pilot Rustam Karimov and Kristina Raspopova, a formation attendant and the lone pistillate connected board.

Very small confirmed accusation is disposable connected the trio and it is unclear if they were straight employed by Prigozhin, by a institution helium owned, oregon by different institution entirely.

Prigozhin is known to person regularly travelled by backstage jet, and the craft progressive successful the crash, a Brazilian-made Embraer Legacy 600, is known to person been utilized by him previously.

The level was enactment nether US sanctions successful 2019 - erstwhile it was listed nether a antithetic registration - due to the fact that of its links to Prigozhin via a company, Reuters reported.

The BBC has not independently verified details astir the formation unit but reports citing interviews with their relatives are circulating successful Russian online media.

Raspopova, 39, is said to person spoken to her household and posted photographs connected societal media soon earlier the formation took off.

Karimov, 29, had lone worked for the institution for 3 months, according to a Russian media interrogation with his father, and reportedly celebrated his 4th wedding day earlier this month.

Levshin, 51, was joined with 2 children and had worked successful aviation his full big life, Russian outlets reported quoting his family.