A number of Russian businessmen have died mysteriously since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February this year.
Due to the chronic media suppression in Russia, only state-approved news comes into the spotlight; so, the real reasons for the businessmen’s death remain unknown.
Russian Businessmen Dying En Masse
On September 12, a leading aviation executive in Russia, Ivan Pechorin, drowned after falling from a boat in the Sea of Japan near Vladivostok, Russia.
Russian state-controlled media established the businessman died immediately after falling from the high-speed boat and his dead body disappeared. Pechorin’s dead body was found after two days.
Likewise, Ravil Maganov, the chairman of Russian multinational energy corporation Lukoil, died earlier this month, reportedly after a severe illness. Many executives of Lukoil, including Maganov, have previously slammed Putin for invading Ukraine.
Another manager of Lukoil, Aleksandr Subbotin, was also found dead in Moscow in May as he suffered from a sudden heart attack after visiting a doctor.
Euro News reported at least eight Russian business tycoons died mysteriously since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The most dangerous job in the world: businessman in #Russia. pic.twitter.com/Hm4L3IOzuh
— Paolo Mauri (@PaoloMauri78) September 16, 2022
As Russian businesses are dealing with the western sanctions and suffering major losses, most businessmen have criticized Putin’s warring ambitions.
This is creating speculations that Putin is perhaps eliminating all his critics one by one. International watchdogs are also insisting on an independent investigation into the mysterious deaths.
Russian State Media Manipulating the Narrative
A month before Putin’s Ukraine invasion, a top-level executive of Gazprom Invest was found dead. Russian state media reported authorities found a suicide note near the dead body. This death started a spree of mysterious deaths in Russia.
Just a day after the Ukraine invasion, a senior executive at Gazprom, Alexander Tyulyakov, was found hanging inside his home.
A few days later, a Ukrainian-born businessman, Mikhail Watford, was found dead in Surrey, UK. Though the UK police labeled Watford’s death as unexplainable.
If you are a businessman in Russia & speak out against the war in Ukraine, no matter how benign, you will soon commit suicide or die by accident.
Russian businessmen keep dying under mysterious circumstances since Putin invaded Ukraine: report https://t.co/rKKRkPMwE3 #FoxNews— BobCat (@BobWitkowsky) September 18, 2022
On March 23, Vasily Melnikov, an owner of a Russian Medical equipment supplier giant, died while the dead bodies of his wife and two children were also found, all stabbed to death.
In April, another Russian millionaire, Vladislav Avayev was fatally shot down with his wife and daughter.
After Pechorin’s death, former Russian defense official Rebekah Koffler noted Russian investigations cannot be trusted at all; so, the actual reason for the deaths will remain unknown.
Koffler further added the Russian government would make the deaths look like tragic accidents so they can easily escape any scrutiny.
Similarly, Keffler also discussed Maganov’s death, claiming Russian media is controlled by the government; so, they are not allowed to state any facts.
The Russian government intentionally uses different tactics to kill people and then manipulates the narrative so no investigator can smell the rat, Keffler added.
This article appeared in The State Today and has been published here with permission.
