Suspicious deaths of Russian businesspeople (2022–2024)

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Suspicious deaths of Russian businesspeople (2022–2023)
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Putin
was visiting the hospital the same day, and associates did not believe he was suicidal.

Since the beginning of 2022, multiple unusual deaths of Russian businesspeople or high officials, sometimes including their family members, have occurred under what some sources suggest were suspicious circumstances.[1][2][3][4]

Analysis

On 3 June 2022 the Dutch NOS news network described the phenomenon as "a grim series of Russian billionaires, many from the oil and gas industries, who have been found dead under unusual circumstances since early this year. The first was on 30 January, when 60-year-old Leonid Shulman, transport chief for Russian energy giant Gazprom, was found dead in the bathroom of his country house in the Leningrad region. Beside his body was a suicide note."[4] On 6 July 2022, CNN Portugal described the group as "millionaires with direct or indirect links to the Kremlin found dead in a mystery scenario since the beginning of the year".[5] It referred to a previous investigation by USA Today, which concluded that "38 Russian businessmen and oligarchs close to the Kremlin died in mysterious or suspicious circumstances between 2014 and 2017."[5] The phenomenon has been called "sudden Russian death syndrome" or "sudden oligarch death syndrome", a play on sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.[6][7]

Some commentators ruled out suicides or poor health.[8] Other commentators, including Fiona Hill and Mark Galeotti, are skeptical of such conspiracies.[8] They point out the deaths are not necessarily all connected, and that it is far more likely some really are suicides, and some could be killings by competing influential clans to wipe out competitors without a centralized Kremlin effort.

The suicide rate in Russia is the third-highest in the world,[8] and similar trends have been noted in 2020 about doctors who have treated COVID-19 patients falling from high windows.[8] Suicides could be further increased especially in the Russian business community due to substantial pressure from the war in Ukraine and international sanctions.[8]

Calls for further investigations

Friends and families of the deceased Russian businessmen generally found it "unthinkable" that they killed themselves – and in some cases also their wives and children – and have demanded an independent investigation into the mysterious deaths.

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and joined the Freedom of Russia Legion,[9][10] said in an interview with The Insider that he thought that his former colleague Vladislav Avayev's alleged murder of his family and subsequent suicide had been staged: "Why? That is difficult to say. Perhaps he knew something and posed some kind of danger."[4][11] Likewise, Sergey Protosenya's son, who was not in Spain when his parents and sister were found dead in Lloret de Mar, stated his father was not the perpetrator ("my father is not a murderer"), but that his parents and sister were murdered by someone else.[4] Protosenya was the former CEO of gas giant Novatek, which published a statement saying he was "a real family man", and called on the Spanish authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.[4]

Businessman and critic of the Russian federal government Bill Browder has opined that Putin is personally ordering executions of influential business leaders in critical sectors whom he feels will not be yes-men and intimidates their successors with threats of death or violence.[12] In Russian mokroye delo or “wet work” is the name given to the business of assassination with people told to commit suicide or they and their families will receive a visitation.[6]

According to an investigative report by Novaya Gazeta, some of the deaths may be connected to large scale accounting fraud by Gazprom executives, who may have funneled money to a network of businesses owned by friends and family members with ties to the FSB and Russian military.[13]

Suspicious deaths

2022

Name Age at death Position Date of death Count of deaths Place body was discovered Circumstances
January
Leonid Shulman 60 Director of Transport of Gazprom[14][5][4] 30 January 2022 1 Russia Bathroom of a residence in Leningrad Oblast[4] Suicide note found next to his body[4]
February
Igor Nosov 43 CEO of the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation (KRDV) and former Deputy governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast 8 February 2022 1 Russia Moscow Reportedly suffered a stroke[15]
Alexander Tyulakov 61 Deputy General Director of the Unified Settlement Center of Gazprom[14][5][4] 25 February 2022 1 Russia Garage of a residence in Saint Petersburg[4] Suicide note found on his body[4]
Mikhail Watford 66 Businessman[14][16][5][4] 28 February 2022 1 United Kingdom Garage of a residence in Surrey, England[4] British authorities have not found evidence of a crime[4]
March
Vasily Melnikov 43 CEO and owner of Medstorm[14][5][4] 23 March 2022 4 Russia Apartment in Nizhny Novgorod[4] Wife and two sons found dead beside him[4]
April
Vladislav Avayev 51 Former Vice President of Gazprombank[14][5][17] 18 April 2022 3 Russia Apartment in Moscow[4] Wife and 13-year-old daughter found dead beside him[4]
Sergey Protosenya 55 Former Deputy Chairman of Novatek.[14][5][17][4] 19 April 2022 3 Spain Garden of a residence in Lloret de Mar, Spain[4] Hanged from a handrail;[18] wife and daughter found dead in their beds with blunt axe wounds[18] and stab wounds[4]
May
Andrei Krukovsky 37 General Director of the Estosadok Krasnaya Polyana, a ski resort owned by Gazprom[5][17] 1 May 2022 1 Russia Below a cliff near the Achipse Fortress [ru] in Sochi[5][17] Reportedly fell off a cliff while hiking to Achipse Fortress [ru][17]
Alexander Subbotin 43[19] Board member of Lukoil[20][5] 8 May 2022 1 Russia Basement of a Jamaican shaman's residence in Moscow[4] Reportedly died from a drug-induced heart attack during a
shamanic ritual, though critics allege toad poison[4]
July
Yuri Voronov 61 CEO of Astra Shipping, a subcontractor of Gazprom[5] 4 July 2022 1 Russia Swimming pool of a residence in Leningrad Oblast[5] Gunshot wounds to the head, pistol found next to his body[5]
August
Dan Rapoport 52 Businessman[21] 14 August 2022 1 United States 2400 M Street NW, Washington, D.C., United States Found in the street after an apparent fall from his high rise apartment building[21]
September
Ravil Maganov 67 Chair of Lukoil[5] 1 September 2022 1 Russia Below a window of the Kremlin Hospital, Moscow[22] Reportedly hospitalised for heart problems and depression, then "fell out of a window"[22][23]
Ivan Pechorin 39 Director of Aviation of the Russian Far East and Arctic Development Corporation (KRDV) 10 September 2022[24][25] 1 Russia On a beach in Beregovoy, Amur Oblast Drowned at Cape Ignatyev, Vladivostok; body found washed up in Beregovoy two days later;[25] allegedly fell from his boat[26]
Vladimir Sungorkin [ru] 68 Editor-in-chief of Komsomolskaya Pravda 14 September 2022[27] 1 Russia Roshchino [ru], Khabarovsky District, Khabarovsk Krai Reportedly suffered a stroke and suffocated while on the way to lunch[27]
Anatoly Gerashchenko [ru] 72 Former Head of the Moscow Aviation Institute 21 September 2022[28][29] 1 Russia Stairway within the Moscow Aviation Institute[28][29] Reportedly fell down a flight of stairs inside the institute[28][29]
Pavel Pchelnikov 52 Director of Digital Logistics, a Russian Railways subsidiary[30][31] 28 September 2022[31] 1 Russia On the balcony of an apartment in Moscow[30][31] Allegedly shot himself on the balcony of his apartment[30][31]
October
Nikolay Petrunin 46 Deputy of the State Duma 12 October 2022 1 Russia Unnamed hospital in Moscow Alleged complications of COVID-19[32][33]
November
Vyacheslav Taran 53 Co-founder of Libertex, a cryptocurrency and foreign exchange market company 25 November 2022[34] 1 France Villefranche-sur-Mer, French Riviera, France Died in helicopter crash after taking off from Switzerland[35]
Vladimir Makei 64 Foreign Minister of Belarus (2012-2022) 26 November 2022 1 Unknown Reported to have died four days after returning from a Collective Security Treaty Organization summit in Armenia accompanying representatives of Vladimir Putin.[36] He was said by his friends to have been "painfully upset" by the collapse of the course he was leading.[37]
December
Grigory Kochenov 41 Creative Director of Agima, an IT company 7 December 2022 1 Russia Volodarsky Street, Nizhny Novgorod Reportedly fell to his death from his balcony while officials from the Investigative Committee executed a search warrant for his apartment[38]
Dmitriy Zelenov 50 Co-founder of Donstroy, a construction company 9 December 2022 1 France Antibes, French Riviera, France Reportedly felt ill and fell over a railing and hit his head, later died in hospital without regaining consciousness[39][40]
Vladimir Bidenov 61 Business associate and travel companion of Pavel Antov 22 December 2022 1 India Hotel Sai International, Rayagada, Odisha, India Died of heart problems; two days later his close companion, Pavel Antov, also died at the same hotel under suspicious circumstances[41][42]
Alexander Buzakov [ru] 66 Director General of the Admiralty Shipyards 24 December 2022 1 Russia Saint Petersburg Died suddenly the day after he attended the float-out ceremony of the new Lada class submarine

Velikie Luki [ru]. No explanation was given on the cause of death[43]

Pavel Antov 65 Founder of Vladmirsky Standart, a meat processing company, and deputy (member) of the Legislative Assembly of Vladimir Oblast 1 India Below a window of Hotel Sai International, Rayagada, Odisha, India Fell out of window from Hotel Sai International;[44] another Russian colleague, Vladimir Bidenov, died in the same hotel two days prior.[45][46]
Alexei Maslov
69 Former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces and special representative of Uralvagonzavod.[47][48] 1 Russia Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital, Moscow[citation needed] Died "unexpectedly" in a military hospital, no cause given.[47]
Vladimir Nesterov 73 Engineer who was general director of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center 28 December 2022[49] 1 Unknown

2023

Name Age at death Position Date of death Count of deaths Place body was discovered Circumstances
January
Magomed Abdulaev 61 Former Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Dagestan [ru] 5 January 2023 1 Russia Makhachkala, Dagestan Died at a hospital after being hit by a car while crossing a street[50]
Dmitry Pavochka 49 Former manager of Roscosmos, Sukhoi, Lukoil, Bank Menatep and Russdragmet, while presently or formerly involved with many others. 26 January 2023 1
Leningradsky Avenue
, Moscow
Burned alive after falling asleep with a lit cigarette[51]
February
Vladimir Makarov 72 Former police general in charge of cracking down on anti-war protesters. 13 February 2023 1 Russia At his suburban home northwest of Moscow State-run TASS news agency reported him found dead, in an apparent suicide, following his dismissal by President Vladimir Putin.[52][53]
Marina Yankina 58 Head of the financial support department of the Ministry of Defence for the Western Military District. 16 February 2023 1 Russia House on Zamshina Street, St. Petersburg Found dead after falling from a window on the 16th-floor of a high-rise building.[54][55][56]
Viatcheslav Rovneiko 59 Oil magnate, co-founder of Urals Energy, co-owner of Belgian oil company Nafta (B) NV, director of Interregional Fuel Union; ex-KGB spy. 22 February 2023 1 Russia Unspecified gated village near Moscow Found unconscious in his house; subsequent medical help could not save his life.[57][58]
April
Igor Shkurko 49 Deputy director of Yakutskenergo [ru]. 4 April 2023 1 Russia Pre-trial detention center in Yakutsk Found dead in his cell; allegedly suicide.[59]
May
Pyotr Kucherenko 46 State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation 20 May 2023 1 Russia Mineralnye Vody Airport, Stavropol Krai Died after falling ill on board a flight from Cuba to Russia.[60][61][62]
June
Artyom Bartenev 42 Federal Judge of the Kirovsky District Court 8 June 2023 1 Russia Underneath his apartment in Kazan, Tatarstan Found dead after falling 12 stories from his apartment window.[63][64]
Grigory Klinishov 92 Physicist and co-creator of the Soviet
hydrogen bomb RDS-37
.
17 June 2023 1 Russia Inside his apartment in Moscow Found dead in his apartment from an apparent suicide, leaving a note.[65][66]
Kristina Baikova 28 Vice-president of Loko-Bank [ru], head of department for work with corporate clients. 24 June 2023 1 Russia Underneath her apartment in Khodynsky Boulevard, Moscow Fell off her apartment at the 11th floor; circumstances of the incident have not yet been clarified.[67]
July
Andrei Fomin 57 Prosecutor of Chuvashia (since 2020) 1 July 2023 1
Volga river near Cheboksary
Fell ill while swimming in the Volga river and drowned.[68][69]
Aleksey Avramenko 46 Minister of Transport and Communications [be] of Belarus (since 2019) 4 July 2023 1 Unknown Died suddenly.[70][71]
Alexander Nikolayev 72 Worked for Rosatom since 2016. Former diplomat. 2003-2008 Russian Consul-General in Simferopol, Crimea. July 2023 1 Russia Konakovo, Tver Oblast Beaten up near his home and died three weeks later.[72]
Natalia Bochkareva 44 Daughter of former Governor of Penza Oblast
Vasily Bochkarev
. Managed her families lumber-processing and bakery businesses
14 July 2023 1 Russia Moscow Found dead inside her apartment.[73]
Anton Cherepennikov 40 Billionaire owner and head of state-affiliated company Citadel specializing in digital wiretapping equipment and telecommunications monitoring technology, sanctioned by the US in February 2023[74] 22 July 2023 1 Russia Moscow Found dead in his office.[75]
August
Gennady Lopyrev 69 Former lieutenant-general in the FSO and overseer of various construction projects, including
bribes, charges he denied in 2016.[76]
16 August 2023 1 Russia IK-3 prison colony, Ryazan Oblast Died of leukemia two days after diagnosis. News agencies reported no previous signs of the illness.[76]
Yevgeny Prigozhin 62
Russian oligarch, mercenary, Wagner Group co-founder and leader, and former close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin until he launched a brief rebellion
on 23 June 2023, exactly two months prior.
23 August 2023 10 Russia Kuzhenkino, Bologovsky District, Tver Oblast

An Embraer Legacy 600 business jet with registration number RA-02795 crashed during a regular high-altitude flight from Moscow to Saint Petersburg.[77][78][79] Prigozhin, Utkin, and Chekalov were killed along with two Wagner veterans, two bodyguards, and the three flight staff.[80] According to Wagner Group, the plane was shot down by air defenses,[81] however according to the US government and aviation experts, the plane was downed by a bomb onboard or other sabotage.[82][83][84][85][86][81]

Dmitry Utkin 53 Former special forces officer in the GRU, co-founder of Wagner Group, recipient of four Orders of Courage of Russia.
Valery Chekalov 47 Russian Navy veteran, Wagner Group's head of security and foreign logistics that managed several front companies to coordinate activities in Libya and Syria.
October
Vladimir Nekrasov 66 Chairman of Lukoil October 1 Died of acute heart failure.[87]
November
Vladimir Sviridov 68 Former lieutenant-general of the 6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army, recipient of Order of the Red Star. November 2023 2 Russia Andzhievsky, Stavropol Krai Found dead at home with his wife.[88][89]
December
Evgeny Postrigan 50 Chief accountant at sanctioned Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev December 2023 1 Russia Zheleznogorsk, Siberia Found dead at the garage of his property, cause of death asphyxiation.[90]
Vladimir Egorov 46 Politician and oil businessesman in Tobolsk. 27 December 2023 1 RussiaTobolsk, Tyumen Oblast Found dead in the yard of his home from suspected three-story fall from building.[91]

2024

Name Age at death Position Date of death Count of deaths Place body was discovered Circumstances
January
Zoya Konovalova 48 Editor-in-chief of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Kuban 5 January 2024 2 Russia Krasnodar Krai Died alongside her ex-husband in a suspected poisoning incident.[92]
Ivan Sechin 35 Employee of Rosneft. Son and heir apparent of Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin 5 February 2024 1 Russia Moscow Complained of kidney pain at his home mansion overnight and died within hours after ambulances failed to arrive due to a "mistake" by the security service giving the wrong address. Cause of death officially diagnosed as a blood clot. His father, Igor Sechin, blamed the Rosneft security service. The Daily Beast calls it "bizarre circumstances".[93]
Vitaly Robertus 53 Vice president of Lukoil 13 March 2024 1 Russia Moscow Reportedly committed suicide. He was found hanged in his Moscow office on 13 March 2024.[94][95][96]

See also

Assassinations and assassination attempts

References

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