MOSCOW: Russian investigators said Friday they had recovered flight recorders and ten bodies from the scene of a plane crash thought to have killed Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin two days ago.

An investigation is underway into what caused Wednesday's crash, which came exactly two months after Wagner's short-lived rebellion against Moscow's military leadership.

"In the course of initial investigative work, the bodies of 10 victims were found at the site of the plane crash," Russia's Investigative Committee said on social media.

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin listed in plane crash with no survivors: authorities

"Molecular genetic analyses are being carried out to establish their identities," it said, adding that "flight recorders" were also recovered from the scene.

Since the crash, which also claimed the lives of some of Prigozhin's close entourage, many Western countries and Kremlin critics have speculated the Wagner chief could have been assassinated.

The Kremlin has rejected suggestions it was involved, calling the incident "tragic" and dismissing rumours of possible foul play as an "absolute lie".

Russian officials said they had opened a probe into violations of air traffic rules, but have otherwise been silent about what may have caused the incident.