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Why Russian Interference Matters: 112 Suspicious Russia-related Deaths since 2014

With the news that Russian President Vladimir Putin has passed a law classifying journalist, bloggers and even social media users as ‘foreign agents’, Sarah Hurst has been keeping track of those paying the ultimate price.

WHY RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE MATTERS
112 Suspicious Russia-related Deaths since 2014

Originally posted here. Critics of Vladimir Putin highlighted in red 


Yelena Nepomnyashchaya, 47(May 1, 2020) – Acting chief doctor of Kranoyarsk Krai veterans’ hospital, fell out of a window on April 25 during a teleconference with regional officials in which she expressed concern about the lack of PPE.

Natalia Lebedeva (April 24, 2020) – Head of the ambulance service for the Star City centre for training cosmonauts in Moscow, she fell out of a window after being hospitalised for coronavirus. Management had blamed her for an outbreak of coronavirus at the facility.

Imran Aliev (“Mansur Stary”) (January 30, 2020) – Vocal Chechen critic of Ramzan Kadyrov, stabbed to death in the hotel Le Coq Hardi in Lille, France. 

Vsevolod Chaplin, 51 (January 26, 2020) – Orthodox cleric who had been sacked as a spokesperson for the church and subsequently criticised Patriarch Kirill, collapsed on a bench outside a church in Moscow. 

Alexei “Grin” Krivulya (January 20, 2020) – Deputy commander of “Donetsk People’s Republic” internal troops division, shot three times in the back near the lift in the entrance to the building where he lived in Donetsk. 

Alexander Ray, 29 and his wife (December 8, 2019) – Publisher of finance magazine Tinkoff Journal, found dead in Moscow from suspected poisoning. 

Dmitri Obretetsky, 49 (November 30, 2019) – Russian businessman knocked down by a car near his home in Oxshott, Surrey. 

Nikita Isayev, 41 (November 16, 2019) – Politician, economist and journalist, died suddenly on a train returning from Moscow to Tambov, where he had been supporting people who opposed the construction of a huge landfill.

Ibragim Eldzharkiev and Abdul Akhmed, 30 (November 2, 2019) – Eldzharkiev was the head of the Centre for Countering Extremism for Ingushetia and Akhmed was his relative. Shot dead in an apparent contract killing in a car park in Moscow. Zelimkhan

Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, 40 (August 23, 2019) – Georgian who had fought on the side of Chechen separatists in the Second Chechen War and subsequently joined the Georgian police and participated as a negotiator in the Lopota hostage-taking incident of 2012, shot in an apparent execution in a park in Berlin. The suspect was from Chechnya.  

Yelena Grigorieva, 41 (July 19, 2019) – Anti-Putin and LGBT activist, stabbed to death in St. Petersburg. She had complained about receiving death threats. Police arrested a man who had worked at her home. 

Mikhail Kurakin, 35 (July 17, 2019) – Investigative journalist found dead in the courtyard of his home in Tolyatti after posting on Facebook, “I don’t know why, but it seems I have serious problems.” 

Tatiana Sekerina, 48 (July 11, 2019) – Federal judge involved in cases against corrupt officials, fell from the window of her 15th-floor flat in Volgograd. 

Fakhri Mustafayev, 38 (July 10, 2019) – Crimean Tatar found dead in Bakhchisaray a day after going missing. He was the son of a delegate to the council of Crimean Tatar people. 

Andrei Kudryashov, 55(June 5, 2019) – Finance chief for Vladimir Putin’s network of underground bunkers, fell from a 15-storey block of flats in Moscow. He had reportedly recently been fired. 

Rashid Yagyaev, 61 (April 22, 2019 approx.) – Crimean Tatar businessman from Simferopol went missing on April 22 – his body washed up on a beach on July 9 with a weight attached to it. 

Andrei Bakharev, 58 (April 20, 2019) – Director of Gazpromtrans-Orenburg, killed with his wife and driver in the village of Rostoshi. Three attackers were caught on video leaving the scene. 

Sergei Shamarin, 62 (April 11, 2019) – Aide to Nikolai Kovalev, who had died six days previously – died in his office in the Duma “from a suspected aneurysm”.

Nikolai Kovalev, 69 (April 5, 2019) – MP in the Duma and former director of the FSB, said to have died “after a long illness”.

Sergei Sokolov, 59 (March 17, 2019, approx.) – FSB general, formerly in the KGB, found dead in his flat in Moscow. He had been dead for at least seven days when he was found on March 24. There was an arsenal of weapons in his flat, but no signs of violence on his body. 

Dmitri Shevelev, 38 (March 4, 2019) – Deputy director of Orsk branch of OrenburgEnergo, shot in the entrance to a building in Orsk by a gunman who was caught on camera. 

Oleg Krivov, 68 (February 14, 2019) – Diplomat in charge of weapons non-proliferation, found dead in a toilet in the Foreign Ministry in Moscow by a cleaner, from a “suspected heart attack”. 

Dmitri Gribov (February 11, 2019) – Head of Centre for Fighting Corruption in Voskresensk, Moscow Oblast, beaten to death by attackers with baseball bats in the entrance to his mother’s building. 

Kirill Tomatsky (Detsl), 35 (February 3, 2019) – Rapper, died suddenly of a “heart attack” after a concert in Izhevsk. 

Vladimir Chernikov, 54,(January 27, 2019) – Head of the department for regional security and combating corruption of the Moscow city government, responsible for banning protests, died suddenly from a “heart attack”. 

Vladimir Trotsky (December 3, 2018) – Blogger from Novy Oskol, Belgorod Oblast, who had been convicted in court of insulting local authorities, found in his bathroom with his throat and veins cut. Investigators said they suspected suicide.

Igor Korobov, 62 (November 21, 2018) – General who was head of the GRU, died “after a long illness”. Alexei Kleshko, 48(November 19, 2018) – Deputy speaker of Krasnoyarsk Krai legislative assembly, a member of United Russia and former TV reporter, fell from the window of his flat. 

Yevgenia Shishkina, 49(October 10, 2018) – Police colonel investigating serious cases, most recently embezzlement at Aeroflot, shot in the neck and back outside her home in Arkhangelskoye, outside Moscow.

 Saak Karapetyan, 58 (October 4, 2018) – Russia’s deputy prosecutor-general, linked to the work of lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who participated in the notorious Trump Tower meeting, killed in a helicopter crash in Kostroma Oblast. A Russian source later claimed the pilot had been shot twice in the back. 

Alexander Zakharchenko, 42 (August 31, 2018) – Leader of the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, killed in a cafe bombing in Donetsk. 

Bruno Charles de Cooman, 59 (August 29, 2018) – Belgian vice-president of research and development at Novolipetsk Steel, fell out of a window of the famous House on the Embankment in Moscow in unknown circumstances.

 Alexander Zhunev, 34 (August 9, 2018) – Well-known street artist whose work included a portrait of performance art protester Petr Pavlensky, died in his sleep on a train going from Moscow to his home town of Perm.

Orkhan Dzhemal, 51, Alexander Rastorguev, 47, & Kirill Radchenko, 33 (July 30, 2018) – Journalists working for Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s media outlet, investigating Russia’s Wagner mercenaries near Sibut in the Central African Republic. Ambushed shortly after being refused entry to a Wagner base.

Petr Ofitserov,43 (July 13, 2018) – Businessman convicted with Alexei Navalny in 2013 in the “Kirovles” case, denounced by the European Court of Human Rights. Died from a head injury reportedly caused while having an epileptic fit or a stroke.

Dawn Sturgess, 44 (July 8, 2018) – Wiltshire resident believed to have come into contact with Novichok from a contaminated item used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in March. 

Andrzej Malczewski, 55 (June 16, 2018) – Founder of sanctioned Mosoblbank, died suddenly in prison, where he was serving a four-year sentence for fraud. 

Yelena Gremina, 61 (May 16, 2018) – Founder of liberal theatre Teatr.doc in Moscow that was regularly harassed by authorities, died of “heart and kidney failure” six weeks after her husband Mikhail Ugarov. She was the author of a play about Sergei Magnitsky.

Yuri Kotler, 50 (May 14, 2018) – Former senior member of United Russia and a former vice-president at VTB Bank, found shot in the head in his flat in Moscow after not responding to efforts to contact him for three days. Said to have committed suicide due to debt.

Oleg Belous, 66 (May 8, 2018) – Russia’s ambassador to Portugal, died suddenly in Lisbon.

Mikhail Abramyan, 33 (April 16, 2018) – Krasnodar political and environmental activist, chairman of Southern Environmental Front, died after an undiagnosed illness – friend Andrey Rudomakha, who was beaten himself last December, suspects poisoning. 

Maxim Borodin, 32 (April 15, 2018) – Yekaterinburg journalist working for Novy Den agency who had written about the deaths of Russian Wagner contractors in Syria as a result of a US air strike on February 7. Died from his injuries after falling out of a fourth-floor window of his flat on April 13. His editor thinks it was murder.

Mikhail Ugarov, 62 (April 1, 2018) – Artistic director of liberal theatre Teatr.doc in Moscow that was regularly harassed by authorities, died of a “heart attack” in Moscow. 

Nikolai Glushkov, 68 (March 12, 2018) – Business partner of Boris Berezovsky, found dead in his home in south London just over a week after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a nerve agent in Salisbury. Police said he died from compression to the neck and launched a murder inquiry.

Yelena Shishmareva, 52 (February 7, 2018) – Former deputy health minister of Tatarstan, found stabbed eight times in the vicinity of her neck at home while under house arrest in an embezzlement case. Investigators suggest it was a suicide.



Konstantin Sinitsin, 53 (January 26, 2018) – Opposition activist in St. Petersburg, beaten to death in the entrance of the building where he lived. A suspect was taken into custody and the murder was reported to have been a personal dispute.

Vedzhiye Kashka, 82 (November 23, 2017) – Crimean Tatar activist, died in Simferopol after being detained during a raid by Russian occupying authorities.

Timofey Kurayev, 44 (November 8, 2017) – Head of the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service in Crimea, had been investigating the mismanagement of ports, found dead in his home.

Serhiy Samarskiy, 55 (November 2, 2017) – City councillor in Syevyerodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, who initiated a decision in 2015 to label Russia an aggressor country, found outside his flat with a smashed skull.

Amina Okueva, 34 (October 30, 2017) – Chechen fighter for Ukraine married to Adam Osmayev, who had been accused of plotting to kill Putin, fought off a previous assassination attempt, killed when their car was shot at outside Kiev.

Alexei Stroganov, 50(October 24, 2017) – Moscow opposition activist, attacked with an iron bar, died after two months in a coma.

Boris Kogan (October 5, 2017) – Businessman who sold his condos in Trump Tower New York after the US election of 2016 and who shipped Russian military equipment as well as rockets for NASA, died suddenly at his home in Odessa from “heart problems”.

Timur Mahauri, 39(September 8, 2017) – Chechen with Georgian citizenship fighting on the side of Ukraine, killed in a car bombing in the centre of Kiev.

Oleg Gorchev, 40 (August 31, 2017) – CEO of Resorts of the North Caucasus, found dead in his flat in Moscow with a head injury.

Mukhmad Askhabov, 61(August 25, 2017) – Member of the Chechen parliament, Communist, attackers shot at his car.

Ivan Skripnichenko, 37(August 23, 2017) – Volunteer who guarded the people’s memorial on the Nemtsov bridge in Moscow, was punched in the nose while on the bridge on August 15 and died from his injuries after surgery.

Mirgayas Shirinsky, 63 (August 23, 2017) – Russian ambassador to Sudan, died at his residence in Khartoum “while swimming in the pool”, according to local police.

Anton Nossik, 51 (July 9, 2017) – Popular Russian-Israeli blogger and Putin critic, died of a suspected heart attack while at a dacha outside Moscow with friends.

Vladimir Shcherbakov, 57 (July 5, 2017) – Businessman’s “suicide” in London was reported by an acquaintance, but London police have not confirmed it. Said to have hanged himself with his crocodile skin belt. Two days beforehand Russian authorities had dropped a case of embezzlement against him, which had been led by MP Andrei Lugovoi, killer of Litvinenko.

Yuriy Voznyi, 41(June 27, 2017) – Colonel in the Ukrainian Security Service, killed when car he was travelling in exploded in Donetsk Oblast, possibly due to an IED.

Maxim Shapoval, 39 (June 27, 2017) – Head of reserve of Main Department of Intelligence at Ukrainian Defence Ministry, killed in a car bombing in Kiev.

Andrei Nedosekin, 63 (June 2017) – Diplomat in department for CIS affairs, found dead in his flat in Moscow by his wife – he had been dead for several days. 

Yuri Parygin, 58 (May 29, 2017) – Deputy mayor of Krasnoyarsk, supposedly jumped out of a window of his building, which was the same building that legislator Alexei Kleshko allegedly jumped from in 2018. 

Dmitri Popkov, 42 (May 24, 2017) – Editor-in-chief of local newspaper Ton-M in Minusinsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, who reported on police corruption, shot dead in the bathhouse.

Igor Agafonov, 49 (May 17, 2017) – Russian Foreign Ministry representative in Vladivostok, died in his sleep.

Nikolai Andrushchenko, 73 (April 19, 2017) – Co-founder and editor of opposition newspaper Novy Peterburg, died in St. Petersburg after being attacked leaving his office on the evening of March 9.

Vadim Tyulpanov, 52 (April 4, 2017) – Russian senator, “slipped in the bathhouse and hit his head” in St. Petersburg the day after the St Petersburg metro bombing.

Alexander Kharaberyush, 39(March 31, 2017) – Deputy chief of Donetsk Oblast SBU counter-intelligence unit, killed in a car bomb in Mariupol, Ukraine.

Nikolai Volkov, 41 (March 27, 2017) – Head of Construction Department at Russia’s Interior Ministry, shot dead near his home in Moscow in suspected contract killing.

Denis Voronenkov, 45 (March 23, 2017) – Former Russian MP who fled to Ukraine with his wife, MP and singer Maria Maksakova in October 2016, shot dead in front of a hotel in Kiev. 

Vladimir Yevdokimov, 55 (March 18, 2017) – Former executive director of the Roskosmos space agency responsible for quality control, in a Moscow prison awaiting trial accused of embezzling up to 200 million roubles, found dead in his cell with stab wounds.

Yevgeny Khamaganov, 35 (March 16, 2017) – Opposition journalist from Buryatia who was beaten and had his neck broken in 2015, in unexplained circumstances in Ulan-Ude either after a beating or due to complications from diabetes.

Vladimir Makovich, 54 (news came out March 12, 2017) – Former co-chairman of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” government who read “declaration of independence” on April 7, 2014, of a mysterious illness in Donetsk.

Alex Oronov, 69 (March 2, 2017) – Ukrainian emigre businessman in New York who organised meeting between Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen, Felix Sater and Ukrainian MP Andriy Artemenko in January 2017 about “peace plan” for Ukraine, in New York of unknown causes.

Viktor Parshutkin, 57 (February 27, 2017) – Lawyer who represented Ukrainian Serhiy Lytvynov, entirely innocent man sentenced in Russia, died of unknown causes in Moscow on the second anniversary of the murder of Boris Nemtsov.

Vitaly Churkin, 64 (February 20, 2017) – Russia’s representative at the UN, famous for vetoing an international tribunal on MH17, died “at work” in New York.

Mikhail “Givi” Tolstykh, 36(February 8, 2017) – Commander of Somalia battalion in Donbass and torturer of Ukrainian POWs, killed by an explosion in his office.


Oleg Anashenko (February 4, 2017) – “Luhansk People’s Republic” commander, killed in car bombing in Luhansk.

Valery Bolotov, 47 (January 27, 2017) – Former leader of the “Luhansk People’s Republic”, possibly died after drinking a poisoned cup of coffee in Moscow.

Alexander Kadakin, 67 (January 25, 2017) – Russian ambassador to India, died in hospital after a brief illness.

Andrei Malanin, 55 (January 9, 2017) – Russian consul found dead in his apartment in Athens of “natural causes”.

Oleg Erovinkin, 61 (December 26, 2016) – FSB general found dead in his car in Moscow, may have been source for Trump dossier.

Roman Skrylnikov (December 26, 2016) – Russian diplomat in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, found dead of an apparent heart attack in his apartment.

Andrei Karlov, 62 (December 20, 2016) – Russian ambassador to Turkey, shot by a Turk who shouted that it was revenge for Aleppo.

Petr Polshikov, 56 (December 20, 2016) – Chief advisor to Latin America department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, found dead in his Moscow home from a gunshot wound.

Sergei Krivov, 63 (November 8, 2016) – Described as “Duty Commander”, died as a result of head trauma at the Russian consulate in New York.

Vladimir Shreydler, 48 (November 8, 2016) – Outspoken pro-Ukrainian activist who had appeared on Russian talk shows, died of a heart attack after having been ill for some time, but still very active.

Arsen “Motorola” Pavlov, 33 (October 16, 2016) – Russian commander in Donbass. Blown up in a lift.

Gennady Tsyplakov, 42 (September 24, 2016) – Former “prime minister of the Luhansk People’s Republic”, found hanged with multiple injuries – it was suggested that he was tortured to death after “LNR” leader Ihor Plotnitsky said he had organised an attempted coup.

Yevhen Zhylin, 40 (September 19, 2016) – Prominent pro-Russian activist from Ukraine, shot dead in an upscale restaurant outside Moscow by a gunman disguised with a fake moustache and Panama hat.

Pavel Sheremet, 44 (July 20, 2016) – Belarusian-born Russian journalist and friend of Boris Nemtsov, killed in a car bombing in Kiev.

Sergei Tikhonov, 50 (June 29, 2016) – Blogger from Pskov who wrote under the nickname “Skobar”, allegedly given a lethal injection on the orders of “Putin’s chef” Yevgeny Prigozhin, as described in an article in Novaya Gazeta in October 2018.

Ruslan Israpilov, 46 (May 6, 2016) – Former Chechen fighter shot dead at his home in Ilimtepe, Turkey.

Matthew Puncher, 46 (May 2016) – Polonium expert involved in Litvinenko inquiry “stabbed himself to death” at home in Oxfordshire after a trip to Russia.

Colin Madsen, 25 (approx. March 27, 2016) – American student who had been volunteering for Greenpeace, body found eight days after he disappeared from a cabin in Siberia early in the morning.

Nikita Kamaev, 52 (February 14, 2016) – Former executive director of the Russian anti-doping agency who had been preparing a book, died of a “heart attack” after going out skiing.

Vyacheslav Sinev, 58 (February 3, 2016) – Chairman of the executive committee of the council of the Russian anti-doping agency. No cause of death given.

Alesya Malakyan, 35 (January 25, 2016) – Daughter of opposition activist Irina Kalmykova, who was fleeing from Russia to Ukraine to escape her trial for protesting, died of unknown causes in Moscow.

Igor Sergun, 58 (January 3, 2016) – A general, director of the GRU military intelligence service, died of unknown causes after being sent to Syria to negotiate with Assad.

Pavel Dryomov, 37 (December 12, 2015) – Prominent Cossack commander in the “Luhansk People’s Republic”, killed in a car bombing on the way home from his wedding.

Mikhail Lesin, 57 (November 5, 2015) – Founder of RT, found dead in the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C.Abdulwahid Edelgiriev, 33(November 1, 2015) – Former Chechen fighter shot in Istanbul, two Russian hitmen arrested.

Abdulwahid Edelgiriev, 33(November 1, 2015) – Former Chechen fighter shot in Istanbul, two Russian hitmen arrested.

Alexei Mozgovoi, 40 (May 23, 2015) – Russian-backed commander in the “Luhansk People’s Republic”, killed in an ambush of his car.

Roman “Tsygan” Voznik (March 26, 2015) – Commander of Mirazh battalion in Donbass, former Berkut member, his car was shot in the centre of Donetsk.

Boris Nemtsov, 55 (February 27, 2015) – Former deputy prime minister and outspoken Putin critic, shot on a bridge near the Kremlin.

Scot Young, 52 (December 8, 2014) – Scottish property tycoon who did business in Russia involving Boris Berezovsky, found impaled on railings in London.

Johnny Elichaoff, 55 (November 12, 2014) – Businessman said to have fallen off the roof of a shopping centre in London. Friend of Scot Young.

Lemar Aliadinov, 37 (disappeared August 2, 2014, death confirmed in October 2017) – Crimean Tatar and Uzbek citizen who went missing while working on a construction site in Yalta.



Timur Kuashev, 26 (July 31, 2014) – Journalist and rights activist in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkar Republic, found apparently poisoned 15 km from his home after threats, but killing was dismissed as a heart attack.

Valeriya Novodvorskaya, 64 (July 12, 2014) – Longtime Soviet dissident who had spoken out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, apparently died of toxic shock syndrome in hospital in Moscow.

Volodymyr Rybak, 42 (April 17, 2014) – Member of Horlivka city council, abducted and murdered by pro-Russian militia after trying to raise the Ukrainian flag on the council building. His body was found with two others with signs of torture.

Alexander Pochinok, 56 (March 16, 2014) – Former government minister who had warned in an interview on Dozhd TV that Crimea would cost Russia more than the war in Chechnya and the Sochi Olympics put together. He died of a “heart attack” two days before the ceremony in Moscow to formally annex Crimea.

Reshat Ametov, 39 (March 15, 2014) – Crimean Tatar activist abducted by three unidentified men in military uniforms on March 3 while protesting by himself in front of the Crimean Council of Ministers building in Simferopol, his body was found in a forest with signs of violence and torture.


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