(Dan Tri) – Video shared on social networks shows the moment a plane believed to belong to the Wagner private military group exploded on the runway in Mali.

According to Newsweek news agency, videos posted by several X accounts (formerly Twitter) show the Soviet-era Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft landing at Gao airport in the West African country on September 23.

Images from the video show the plane rushing across the runway at high speed, before breaking into blocks and bursting into flames.

Video of Wagner plane exploding in Africa (Source: Newsweek).

The fate of those on board is unknown, but there is speculation that they include members of the Russian private military group Wagner operating in Mali.

The Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, which claims to be affiliated with Russian security agencies, reported that `according to preliminary data, Wagner’s mercenaries may have been on the plane.`

The Ilyushin-76 is a multi-role strategic transport aircraft, often used to transport heavy machinery to remote areas without many services.

The aircraft has appeared in many parts of Africa, often coinciding with the presence of paramilitary forces such as Wagner, and has also been seen in other parts of the continent, such as the Central African Republic.

Opposition sources in Mali said that according to some reports, this plane may be related to the Wagner group, while local sources said that this could be a Malian military plane carrying equipment.

An airport source and local official told news magazine Jeune Afrique that the Ilyushin-76 that crashed was a Malian army plane transporting Wagner soldiers and was overloaded.

Wagner is the main force in Russia’s military operation to control the city of Bakhmut, Eastern Ukraine.

In addition to participating in the military campaign in Ukraine, Wagner is believed to be active in at least eight African countries, providing combat services, protecting mining facilities and ensuring the safety of senior officials.

Former Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash near Moscow in August, exactly two months after he launched flash riots in Russia.

Most security experts doubt Wagner’s ability to survive now that Prigozhin is no longer in charge, raising big questions about what will happen to its fighters, weapons and operations.

Some sources say Wagner soldiers massively withdrew from Africa after Wagner’s failed rebellion in Russia.