Wagner PMC shot down IL-22 near Voronezh, with 10 people on board - correspondent

Air defence forces of the Wagner private military company (PMC) shot down an airplane IL-22 with 10 people on board near Voronezh.

The remarks were made by “First Channel’s” military correspondent Irina Kuksenkova on her Telegram channel, Caliber.Az reports.

"When back in the headquarters of the Southern Military District Prigozhin was asked why if this plane does not strike, but performs other functions, he said that and the fool in the column shot down everything that takes off," Kuksenkova wrote.

Wagner mercenary company chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has agreed to pay 50 million rubles ($597,750) as compensation to the relatives of the victims, she added.

Earlier, Russian Telegram channels and the media reported that during the military mutiny of the private military company, the company's fighters shot down six helicopters and an IL-18 aircraft with at least eight people on board.

Meanwhile, the units of the Wagner PMC are leaving the Voronezh region in a routine manner. The restrictions and security measures in the region will be lifted after the situation is fully resolved, the region’s head Alexander Gusev said.

"The movement of the units of the Wagner PMC through the territory of the Voronezh region is coming to an end. It proceeds as usual and without excesses. After the final resolution of the situation, we will remove the restrictions," Gusev added.

Wagner mercenary company chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on June 23 declared rebellion on the Russian Defence Ministry after an alleged attack by the Russian army on his mercenaries’ military camp. He has had a long-standing feud with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

On June 24, Russian Telegram channels reported that Wagner private military company militants reportedly crossed the borders of the Moscow region as of 17:00 local time.

Before that, the Wagnerite column was spotted on the M4 highway between the town of Yelets in Lipetsk Oblast and the town of Yefremov in Tula Oblast (the distance between them is about 80 kilometres).

In developments that were breathlessly fast, they reportedly took over the regional military command and seized military facilities in Voronezh, another city further north, towards Moscow.

The fighters started to march toward the capital, prompting the Kremlin to introduce tighter security in many regions, including Moscow, where the mayor of the capital city had told residents to avoid travelling.

There were also warnings that thousands of elite Chechen troops were heading to Moscow to fight off the Wagner soldiers if needed.

In response, President Vladimir Putin pledged to punish those who had "betrayed" Russia.

The agreement to suddenly de-escalate the situation came on June 24 evening, after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Prigozhin, according to Russian TV channel Rossiya 24.

Hours later, a video emerged purportedly showing Wagner troops leaving Rostov, and their leader being driven away to the cheers and handshakes of supporters.