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MOSCOW — Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was formally confirmed dead on Sunday following genetic analysis, investigators said, as anger and questions over what caused his plane to crash earlier in the week continued to mount.

Speculation that the Kremlin may have been involved in the crash has been rife, with the incident coming exactly two months after Wagner staged a mutiny against Moscow's military leadership.

"Molecular-genetic examinations have been completed as part of the investigation into the plane crash in the Tver region," Svetlana Petrenko, a spokeswoman from Russia's Investigative Committee said.

"According to their results, the identities of all 10 victims were established, they correspond to the list stated in the flight list," she added.

Among the nine other people listed onboard the Embraer private jet that crashed on Wednesday was Dmitry Utkin, a shadowy figure who managed Wagner's operations and allegedly served in Russian military intelligence.

Makeshift memorials 

Russian officials opened an investigation into air traffic violations after the crash but have otherwise not disclosed details about its possible cause.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the incident as "tragic" to reporters on Friday, calling rumours of possible foul play an "absolute lie".

His comments came as the Kremlin appeared to rein in groups like Wagner, with a presidential decree signed Friday stipulating that paramilitary fighters will have to swear an oath to the Russian flag.

In an address Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said he had known Prigozhin — once a loyal ally — since the early 1990s, describing him as a man who made mistakes but "achieved results".

However, his comments did little to stem mounting questions and anger over the mercenary's chief's death, with makeshift shrines to Prigozhin springing up across Russian cities.

Video taken by AFP showed a makeshift memorial on Moscow's Varvarka street, just outside the Kremlin, as men stood solemnly before a line of red roses and pictures of the mercenary chief.

“He was killed,” said one man wearing a shirt marked with the letter “Z” — a symbol representing Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.

“He was killed by his enemies. We won’t say who. The investigation will reveal. But we hope that revenge will catch up with those who committed this crime,” he added.

Another man outside the memorial told AFP that Prigozhin had “plenty of enemies”, as he speculated over who was responsible.

“Prigozhin had a lot of enemies in our country, abroad, in Ukraine and Africa,” said Renat, 53.

Wagner forces, which Moscow used to prosecute some of the Ukraine conflict’s bloodiest battles, also maintained a significant military presence in Africa.

Similar memorials were spotted across the country, in cities like Perm and Saint Petersburg, Russia’s former imperial capital and Prigozhin’s birthplace.

Drone strikes 

Hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv continued to rage on Sunday, with Russia announcing its border regions were hit by drones again and Ukraine reporting an overnight strike.

Russia and the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula have been hit by almost daily attacks in the past month, since Kyiv warned in July it aimed to “return” the conflict to Russian territory.

Moscow’s defence ministry announced two Ukrainian drones flying over border regions on Sunday had been repelled, after the governor of Belgorod region said a drone carrying explosives had killed a man the day before.

The governor of Russia’s Kursk region, which lies next to the Ukrainian border, said a drone had crashed into an apartment building in Kursk city overnight, blowing out windows on several floors.

“There were no fires, none of the residents were injured,” Governor Roman Starovoit said on social media, sharing an image of what appeared to be a charred mark on a tower block.

Ukraine was also targeted on Sunday, as its air force announced it shot down four cruise missiles in the country’s north and central regions during another Russian air raid overnight.

The head of Kyiv’s regional military administration, Ruslan Kravchenko, said falling missile fragments had injured two people and damaged 10 homes.

‘Juice’ 

Ukraine meanwhile mourned the loss of three pilots killed in a mid-air collision on Friday, as leading figures paid tribute to well-known fighter ace “Juice” killed in the crash.

The crash involving two combat training aircraft marks a painful blow for Kyiv, which has been looking to secure advanced F-16 jets to modernise its Soviet-era air force.

The 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade named the three dead as Major Vyacheslav Minka, Major Sergiy Prokazin and Captain Andrii Pilshchykov, better known by his call-sign “Juice”.

“Each of them was involved in air operations for the defence of Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression, including tactical tasks in the east and in Zaporizhzhia region,” it said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed an investigation into what happened.

DARWIN, Australia — Three US Marines were killed on Sunday when an Osprey aircraft crashed on a remote tropical island during war games north of the Australian mainland, US military officials said.

Rescue workers toiled in fading light to evacuate survivors from the isolated crash site, with US officials saying five crew members had been flown to Royal Darwin Hospital in a “serious condition”.

The US Marine Rotational Force in Darwin said there were “a total of 23 personnel on board” at the time of the crash and Australia’s military said only Americans were involved.

Rescue efforts were complicated by the location of the crash — the remote and sparsely populated Melville Island about 60 kilometres  north of the nearest city, Darwin.

The Osprey — a mix between a helicopter and a plane — was taking part in the Predators Run exercises, a series of warfighting drills involving thousands of soldiers from the US and Australia, as well as other militaries such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles extended their “deepest condolences” to the US military.

“This incident is a reminder of the significance of the service undertaken by our personnel and those of our partner nations,” they said in a joint statement.

Albanese earlier described the crash as “tragic” and “regrettable” but stressed that authorities were still trying to piece together what had happened.

“We want to make sure that any information that is provided is absolutely accurate,” he told reporters.

“This is a difficult incident, we are responding fully, and our priority is on providing every assistance possible.”

Local authorities said Royal Darwin Hospital had activated its highest emergency alert as intensive care staff braced for the influx of injured crew.

Northern Australia has become an important staging ground for the US military in recent years, as Washington and Canberra work together to counter China’s growing clout in the Asia-Pacific region.

Troubled aircraft 

Investigators will now begin piecing together what led to the crash on Melville Island, known for coral reefs, pristine beaches, and the vibrant culture of its Indigenous-Australian inhabitants.

The Osprey aircraft has a troubled history, blighted by a string of fatal crashes over the years.

Four US Marines were killed in Norway last year when their V-22B Osprey aircraft went down during NATO training exercises.

Three Marines were killed in 2017 when an Osprey crashed after clipping the back of a transport ship while trying to land at sea off Australia’s north coast.

And 19 Marines died in 2000 when their Osprey crashed during drills in Arizona.

The US army earlier this year temporarily grounded all pilots who were not involved in critical missions, forcing them to complete further training after a series of safety incidents.

Ospreys are rapidly quick tilt-rotor aircraft that combine the features of both helicopters and turboprop planes, according to the US Air Force.

The hybrid aircraft has two swivelling engines positioned on fixed wingtips that allow it to land and take off vertically, but also travel much faster than a conventional helicopter.

Sunday’s incident follows a fatal training crash last month, in which four Australians died when their Taipan helicopter plunged into the sea during a series of multinational war games in Queensland.

The Taipan had been taking part in the large-scale Talisman Sabre exercise, which brought together 30,000 military personnel from Australia, the United States and several other nations.

It crashed near the Whitsunday Islands while taking part in a nighttime operation.

MARSEILLE — Rescue ship Ocean Viking has saved 438 migrants in distress in the Mediterranean over the last two days, the organisation that runs it, SOS Mediterranee, said on Friday.

The rescues took place in international waters off the coasts of Libya and Tunisia, the France-based NGO said.

Earlier in the day, the NGO said that on Thursday it had "rescued 272 people" of 23 different nationalities from three boats in the central Mediterranean, the most perilous maritime crossing in the world for the migrants.

Those rescued included "32 unaccompanied minors, nine babies and five people with disabilities", said the organisation, which is based in Marseille, on the French Mediterranean.

Later Friday, it said it had rescued another 166 people when it "went to the aid of a number of boats in distress".

Those onboard were evacuated "in coordination with the Italian coast guards in the search and rescue area between Tunisia and Lampedusa".

The tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, located just 145 kilometres from Tunisia, is the first port of call for many migrants seeking to make the treacherous sea journey to Europe from North Africa.

In total, "438 rescued people are currently on board", SOS Mediteranee said.

The Ocean Viking was "heading towards Genoa" in northern Italy because the Italian authorities had ordered them to go to the distant port to disembark the migrants, the group added.

At least 2,013 people have died or gone missing so far this year attempting to cross the central Mediterranean, according to the United Nations migration agency, the International Organisation for Migration.

That is significantly higher than its figure for the whole of 2022, which was 1,417.

In June, one sinking alone in the western Mediterranean cost the lives of at least 82 people, one of the deadliest incidents involving migrants in the area.

In July, the Italian authorities detained the Ocean Viking for 10 days at Civitavecchia, after questioning the vessel’s safety standards, before finally releasing it.

OTTAWA — Another town in Canada’s Northwest Territories was forced to evacuate on Saturday as strong winds and rising temperatures gave new life to vast wildfires.

The threat to Hay River, a town of about 4,000, was so great that even firefighters and essential workers were ordered to leave, authorities said.

The territorial government ordered everyone still in the town to travel to the local airport and await instructions.

“Anyone who remains in Hay River is doing so at their own risk,” a government statement said. “There will be no emergency services or response available.”

At this point, some two-thirds of the entire population of the Northwest Territories — a vast but lightly populated area — has been evacuated to neighbouring provinces, sometimes 2,000 kilometres away.

“Extreme southwest winds have pushed the fire closer to town along the highway, forcing crews and aircraft to pull back and regroup at a safe distance,” said Shane Thompson, the region’s environmental minister, calling the situation “very serious”.

Fire crews are fighting a wall of flames several kilometres long, the authorities said.

Canada is suffering through its worst forest fire season in recorded history, with much of the country hit by high temperatures and serious drought.

A total area of 15 million hectares has now burned, an area larger than Greece. That is more than double the previous record, and the 2023 wildfire season is not yet over.

In all, 200,000 people have been evacuated, and fires have claimed four lives.

Experts say global warming has aggravated the conditions that favor wildfires.

UNITED NATIONS, United States — The United States on Friday accused China and Russia of blocking a unified UN Security Council response to North Korea’s missile launches, including Thursday’s attempt by Pyongyang to put a spy satellite in space.

During an emergency Security Council meeting, 13 of the 15 members — all but Moscow and Beijing — condemned Pyongyang’s second spy satellite test in three months, which used ballistic missile technology.

“This should be an issue that unifies us... But since the beginning of 2022, this Council has failed to live up to its commitments because of China and Russia’s obstructionism,” said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

“The DPRK’s nuclear threat is growing, and Russia and China are not living up to their responsibility to maintain international peace and security,” she added, using the initials for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.

Thomas-Greenfield also denounced the presence of Russian and Chinese officials at a North Korean military parade last month that showed off new drones and nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.

“They are celebrating — celebrating — violations of Security Council resolutions and continuing to block Council action,” Thomas-Greenfield said of Moscow and Beijing.

In May 2022, China and Russia vetoed a resolution imposing new sanctions on Pyongyang, and no resolution or declaration by the Security Council on North Korea has been adopted since.

The last unified Security Council action on North Korea took place in 2017.

Chinese and Russian representatives said Washington was to blame for North Korea’s aggressive stance, pointing to ongoing US military drills with South Korea.

North Korea has long maintained its nuclear programme is pursued in self-defence, and said the same applies to its satellite programme.

“Our launch of the reconnaissance satellite is an exercise of the legitimate right to self defense to deter ever-increasing hostile military acts of the United States,” said North Korean Ambassador Kim Song, adding that his country has never recognised UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea anyway.

Thomas-Greenfield rejected that position.

“We all know the truth: The DPRK puts its paranoia and selfish interests over the dire needs of the North Korean people,” she said.

“The DPRK’s war machine is fuelled by repression and cruelty,” Thomas-Greenfield added. “It’s shameful, and it’s a grave threat to global peace.”

JOHANNESBURG — BRICS leaders announced on Thursday the "historic" admission of six new countries from next year as the club of large and populous emerging economies seeks to reshape the global order.

The BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, agreed at their annual summit to make Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates full members from January 1.

"This membership expansion is historic," said Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose nation is the most powerful in the group of non-Western states that represents a quarter of the world's economy.

"The expansion is also a new starting point for BRICS cooperation. It will bring new vigour to the BRICS cooperation mechanism and further strengthen the force for world peace and development".

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hailed what he called "a great moment" for his country, the second-most populous in Africa.

"Ethiopia stands ready to cooperate with all for an inclusive and prosperous global order," he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In Iran, senior presidential adviser Mohammad Jamshidi described the move as a "historic development and a strategic success" for Tehran's foreign policy.

Calls to enlarge the BRICS had dominated the agenda at its three-day summit in Johannesburg and exposed divisions among the bloc over how quickly new members should be admitted, and how many.

But the group, which makes decisions by consensus, had agreed on the criteria for admission, said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, paving the way for the bloc to expand even further.

Nearly two dozen countries had formally applied to join and about the same number have expressed interest from across the “Global South”, a broad term referring to non-Western nations.

Some 50 other heads of state and government attended the summit, underscoring what BRICS leaders say is the attractiveness of its message and growing relevance on the world stage.

US officials have played down the likelihood of BRICS emerging as a geopolitical rival, describing the bloc as a highly diverse collection of countries containing both friends and rivals.

The bloc is a disparate mix of big and small economies, democratic and authoritarian states, and the candidates seeking membership and those admitted to the club also reflect this variety.

But despite differences, BRICS leaders expressed a common belief that the global system was dominated by Western states and institutions that did not serve the interests of developing nations.

“Our diversity strengthens the fight for a new international order,” said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has strongly promoted the BRICS development bank as a counter to the Washington DC-based International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

‘New dimensions’ 

Lula said with the admission of six new members, the BRICS now represented nearly half the world’s population and an even greater share of its economic output.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country enjoyed “deep” ties with the new members and “with the help of BRICS, new dimensions will be added to our bilateral cooperation”.

The bloc, founded in 2009 and expanded the following year to include South Africa, has risen to prominence at a time of intense geopolitical rivalry and analysts said its 15th summit in Johannesburg could be pivotal.

China had been campaigning to rapidly grow the BRICS into a counterweight to the G7 group of wealthy democracies and other Western-led institutions amid rising competition with the United States.

South Africa also supported expansion as did Russia, whose leader Vladimir Putin is the subject of an international arrest warrant, and addressed the summit via video link.

The summit in Johannesburg underlined divisions with the West over the war in Ukraine, and the support Russia enjoys from its BRICS partners despite its global isolation.

South Africa, China and India have not condemned Russia’s invasion while Brazil has refused to join Western nations in sending arms to Ukraine or imposing sanctions on Moscow.