Wagner mercenaries have threatened to march on Moscow after it was claimed warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin was among the dead in a plane crash near the Russian capital.
Telegram channels with links to Prigozhin announced his death on Friday night shortly after news of the crash, and claimed it was caused by 'traitors' within Russia.
Russian officials also claimed Prigozhin was on the plane, which crashed in a field, killing all ten onboard, just two months after his failed coup attempt against Putin's regime.
The Federal Air Transport Agency published a list of those it believed were on the flight, including Prigozhin and his deputy Dmitry Utkin.
However, Keir Giles, from the London-based think tank Chatham House, warned: 'It's been announced that a passenger by the name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board - but it is also known that multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeny Prigozhin, as part of his efforts to obfuscate his travels. Let’s not be surprised if he pops up shortly in a new video from Africa.'
Meanwhile, as the news broke, Wagner supporters laid tributes to its commander outside the former Wagner Centre in St Petersburg. Putin is yet to comment but last night attended a concert.
Although the cause of the crash is unclear, Russian social media channels is awash with speculation that a case of fine wine onboard may in fact have been a bomb in disguise.
Prigozhin, formerly known as Putin's chef and with longstanding links to the Kremlin dictator, is believed to have been on a 'kill list' after his uprising failed and he was exiled to Belarus.
As more claims of Prigozhin's death spread, Wagner fighters posted a chilling video on social media vowing retribution if their leader is confirmed dead.
Yet, frenzied speculation also suggests Prigozhin may have faked his own death after a second aircraft, with links to Wagner, was seen on flight radar zigzagging over the same Tzer region, 60 miles north of the capital.
This would not be the first time he had succeeded in disappearing: he was officially declared dead in Africa in 2019, before re-emerging before Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
It was initially unknown if Wagner chief Prigozhin (pictured in a video reportedly filmed in Africa which was released on Monday) - known as the Wagner chief and with longstanding links to the Kremlin dictator - was on board
Masked men, claiming to be Wagner fighters warned Putin to 'get ready' as the group prepares for a possible reaction to their leader's reported death
The plane, which had Prigozhin named as a passenger on its flight list, was later reported to be engulfed in fire, as images on social media claimed to show the wreckage
Flightradar data appeared to show a second plane circling over St Petersburg
The Wagner headquarters in St Petersburg appeared to be lit up in the shape of a cross
A man lights a candle at an informal memorial next to the former Wagner Centre in St Petersburg, which has been scattered with dozens of flowers
People pay tribute to Yevgeny Prigozhin at the makeshift memorial in St Petersburg
Witnesses to the crash heard a loud bang before they saw the jet 'fall from the sky' - locals on social media are sharing these images of the aftermath, although it is unconfirmed at this stage if this is the plane
The Russian Investigative Committee released a photo of the alleged crash site on Wednesday after the blaze had been extinguished
Wagner deputy and co-founder Dmitry Utkin is also claimed to have been killed in the crash
Ten bodies have been retrieved from the wreckage, local emergency services have said, but MailOnline is unable to independently verify whether Prigozhin was one of them.
A Wagner address last night, reported by the Sun, stated: 'We directly say that we suspect the Kremline officials led by Putin of an attempt to kill him!'.
'If the information about Prigozhin's death is confirmed, we will organise a second March of Justice on Moscow!'
Meanwhile armed men claiming to be from the unit warned Putin in a video shared online: 'There's a lot of talk right now about what the Wagner Group will do. We can tell you one thing.
'We are getting started, get ready for us.'
Both state media and Telegram accounts affiliated to Wagner have reported Prigozhin's and Utkin's deaths.
While the fate of his bitter rival remained unknown, the Russian President enjoyed a WW2 memorial concert and handed out military honours in Kursk, Russia.
Video footage purportedly shows the aircraft falling out of the sky in the Bologovsky district in the Tver region, 60 miles north of Moscow on Friday. A burning wreckage, which appears to be of a plane, was later seen in a field, with unconfirmed images showing it completely ablaze.
Prigozhin, 62, has been increasingly careful since he led a coup against Putin's regime exactly two months ago.
After its failure, he had been warned that his life was in danger. He was known to take huge care over his security and is rumoured to have not been onboard the fateful plane, despite state TV asserting otherwise.
Sources close to him said that while the aircraft belonged to him, he usually flew on another aircraft.
Another plane, also supposedly with links to Prigozhin, was detected 'zig-zagging' over Moscow in the aftermath of the crash, fuelling speculation that the Wagner boss may not have been onboard after all.
Tracking data available for the crashed plane appears to show it rise to around 29,000ft, before suddenly disappearing and dropping to 0ft.
A channel linked to Wagner said the plane had been shot down by air defences, but this has not yet been confirmed.
A Telegram channel thought to be linked to Prigozhin said their leader had died, saying he had been 'killed as a result of actions by traitors of Russia'.
A post described him as a 'hero of Russia, a true patriot of his Motherland'.
Wagner deputy and co-founder Dmitry Utkin, widely reported to be a neo-Nazi, is also claimed to have been killed in the crash.
One of the other passengers said to have died, Valeriy Chekalov, has previously been sanctioned by the US due to his links to the Wagner group.
Russian State TV Rossiya24 was the first to announce warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin's death, stating: 'A private jet flying from Moscow to St Petersburg crashed.
'Ten people were killed. Yevgeny Prigozhin was among the passengers.'
Outside the Wagner Centre in St Petersburg, some Russians were pictured laying flowers and candles after the unit leader's possible death.
Ultranationalist pro-war TV channel Tsargrad said the bodies of Yevgeny Prigozhin and fellow military warlord Dmitry Utkin had been identified at the crash site. A genetic analysis was still to be carried out, and authorities have started an investigation, state media reports.
Last night, UK security officials pointed the finger at Putin, accusing the Russian president of assassinating his most dangerous political rival.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source said: 'There is no surprise about what has happened. There are no accidents after an individual challenges Putin's authority.
'He has eliminated his rivals and those who have spoken out against him before and, it appears, he has done so again.
'The question is, what happens now to the Wagner Group. Will it become Putin's private army operating around the world?'
Security sources said they expect the Kremlin to attribute the crash to a bomb placed on board the aircraft by Ukrainian special agents. It is considered far more likely that Prigozhin's jet was targeted by the Russian government using a surface-to-air missile.
Washington confirmed on Wednesday evening that President Biden has been briefed, and the UK government confirmed it was 'monitoring the situation closely'.
Wagner group badges were among the items left at an informal memorial outside the former Wagner Centre on Friday night
Men hang a Wagner flag at a memorial after Russian officials claimed Prigozhin was on the plane that crashed last night
Russians lay banners, flags, candles and bunches of flowers outside the unit's former HQ
Two young Russians stand and look at the makeshift memorial outside the former Wagner Centre
A Telegram channel with links to Wagner announced Prigozhin's death on Friday evening
Images shared online purported to show the jet, believed to be carrying the Russian chief, falling to the ground as it crashed in the Tver region in Russia
It was claimed a video showed the plane flying in the Tver region before crashing towards the ground
Plumes of smoke from the blaze, said to be of the plane, could be seen for miles around, video on social media shows
Firefighters rush to the scene of the blaze, believed to be Prigozhin's plane
Ten bodies have been recovered from the wreckage, said to be pictured above, Russian officials have said
A report from Rosaviatsiya - the Russian aviation agency - said Prigozhin was among the passengers
Prigozhin has had long-established links to the Kremlin and until recently led the Wagner mercenary unit
Witnesses to the crash heard a loud bang before they saw the jet 'fall from the sky'.
Images shared on social media purport to show the burning wreckage of the plane in a field in the Tver region, and plumes of black smoke can be seen from miles away.
The numbers 795 can just about be made out on the edge of the scrap pile, which matches the plane linked to the ex-military leader.
Roads leading to the crash site have since been blocked off by Russian police vehicles, images show.
US national security spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the possible death of Prigozhin would not be a surprise given his history with Putin.
'We have seen the reports' of the crash and if confirmed, 'no-one should be surprised,' she said.
President Joe Biden told reporters: 'I don't know for a fact what happened, but I'm not surprised.'
But news agency Readovka - linked to Prigozhin - said it was 'premature' to say he had died. He regularly 'confused everyone' by changing his travel plans at the last minute, the agency said.
A source claimed: 'The infrastructure [of the plane] was not damaged, the tail fell off in one settlement, everything else in another.
'The wing also fell off, we don't know yet what and where. Three people, the pilots, are torn to pieces, to pieces.
'The rest are in the tail section. Four bodies were picked open, and then it is still not clear. The plane burned out completely.
'Only the front part, windows and a piece of hardware remained, and a piece of the engine is lying on one wing. Everything else burned out.'
Russian officials said of ten bodies found, one of them had its head separated from its shoulders.
Police officers block a road near the site of crash of a private jet linked to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in the Tver region on Friday night
It comes as Russian authorities begin a criminal investigation into the crash near the village of Kuzhenkino
Prigozhin pictured during his failed coup attempt against Putin in June this year
A video shared widely on social media claimed to show the aircraft ablaze
One local woman said she saw parts of the plane fall off as it plunged from the sky.
A second plane belonging to Prigozhin, the same aircraft said to be flying zigzags close to Moscow, was later reported to have landed in the capital.
Prigozhin had been warned not to go into high buildings for fear of accidents after leading a coup aimed at ousting especially defence minister Sergei Shoigu and army chief Gen Valery Gerasimov.
He is known to have used body doubles as part of his elaborate security measures.
Commenting on the crash, military analyst Sean Bell told Sky News: 'After that abortive coup, I don't think any of us expected Prigozhin's life expectancy to be more than I think we predicted three months. It looks like it's two months.'
He later said the incident could even be a stunt by Prigozhin himself in order to allow him to disappear into a peaceful exile.
At the time of the crash, a smirking Putin - who rarely travels to the Russian regions - was in Kursk, close to Ukraine, marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk in WW2.
At the event, Putin gave awards to the military, including the top honour - Hero of Russia.
Prigozhin, whose private military force Wagner fought alongside Russia's regular army in Ukraine, mounted a short-lived armed mutiny against Russia's military leadership in late June.
Wagner chief Prigozhin (pictured in March this year) became one of the most feared men in Russia during his military career
A local woman said she saw parts of the plane, said to be pictured above, fall off as it plunged from the sky
The jet linked to the Wagner chief has previously flown members of his team around Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Kursk
Russian President Putin was last night pictured at a concert in Kursk
The grand event in Kursk saw Putin hand out military offers, as his biggest rival's fate remained unknown
His paramilitary unit had been associated with some of the worst atrocities of the conflict in Ukraine, but Prigozhin's relationship with the Kremlin broke down over high mortality rates, lack of equipment and lack of wages.
The Russian warlord had previously threatened to withdraw troops from frontline positions if he was not given the supplies he demanded from Putin.
The Wagner Group saw some of the worst fighting in the months leading up to June, with numbers so depleted that Prigozhin recruited thousands of dangerous convicted criminals straight out of prison to join his forces.
In late June, Prigozhin launched an unprecedented verbal attack on President Putin and his allies before marching 25,000 troops towards Moscow.
Having taken the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, the army marched north for several hours, forcing the capital into lockdown, before an agreement between him and the government was reached.
The mutiny was ended by negotiations and an apparent Kremlin deal which saw Prigozhin agree to relocate to neighbouring Belarus. But he had appeared to move freely inside Russia after the deal nonetheless.
Shortly after that, Wagner fighters set up camp in Belarus, but Prigozhin's plane, according to media reports, was flying back and forth between Belarus and Russia.
This week Prigozhin posted his first recruitment video since the mutiny, saying that Wagner is conducting reconnaissance and search activities, and 'making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free'.
Prigozhin, who had sought to topple Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, had posted the video address just this Monday - but the date of the shoot is unknown.
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