Since 2022, dozens of Russian executives and officials have died in suspicious circumstances. Explore verified cases and known public details.
Since the start of 2022, a growing number of prominent Russian figures—ranging from senior officials to energy executives—have died in circumstances described as accidental, self-inflicted, or sudden. Many were connected to strategic sectors such as oil, gas, military, or state finance. Some were linked to firms like Gazprom, Lukoil, or Wagner. Several deaths occurred within Russia, often involving falls from windows, unexplained gunshots, or supposed suicides. Others took place abroad, during business trips or holidays, where investigations were often inconclusive or dismissed.
While authorities have offered official explanations for most cases, the similarities in timing, context, and methods have drawn international attention. In particular, patterns involving falls, drownings, and heart failures among people in similar roles have led to speculation about internal purges, political retaliation, or concealed causes.
This article presents a structured review of documented deaths between 2022 and 2025, highlighting names, roles, causes of death, and known public circumstances. It does not speculate but focuses on verified data, aiming to offer a factual overview of what is publicly known.
Suspicious Deaths of Prominent Russians (2022–2025)
The following list includes Russian government officials, military figures, and corporate executives who held strategic positions and died under suspicious circumstances, accidents, or suicides between 2022 and 2025. It summarizes their role, date and cause of death, and available context surrounding each case.
Leonid Shulman – Head of Transport Service at Gazprom Invest
Died: January 30, 2022 – Suicide (slashed wrists)
Found dead in a cottage near St. Petersburg with his wrists slashed and a suicide note nearby. This was one of the first unexplained executive deaths in 2022.
Alexander Tyulakov – Deputy General Director at Gazprom
Died: February 25, 2022 – Suicide (hanging)
Found hanged in his garage near St. Petersburg one day after the invasion of Ukraine. Security forces quickly secured the scene.
Mikhail Watford – Former oil and gas businessman
Died: February 28, 2022 – Undetermined (found hanged)
Found dead in the garage of his home in the UK. Police did not treat the case as suspicious.
Vasily Melnikov – Owner of MedStom, medical supply company
Died: March 23, 2022 – Stab wounds (suspected family murder-suicide)
Found dead with his wife and children in Nizhny Novgorod. Investigators initially suspected a domestic murder-suicide.
Vladislav Avayev – Former Vice President at Gazprombank
Died: April 18, 2022 – Gunshot wounds (suspected murder-suicide)
Found dead with his wife and daughter in his Moscow apartment. A pistol was found in his hand.
Sergei Protosenya – Former Vice President at Novatek
Died: April 19, 2022 – Hanging (suspected murder-suicide)
Found hanged in a villa in Spain. His wife and daughter were found stabbed. Spanish police treated the case as a murder-suicide.
Andrei Krukovsky – Director of Krasnaya Polyana (Gazprom’s ski resort)
Died: May 1, 2022 – Fall from cliff
Reportedly fell while hiking near Sochi. Official cause of death was listed as accidental.
Alexander Subbotin – Former board member at Lukoil
Died: May 8, 2022 – Suspected heart attack
Died in a basement during a shamanic ritual involving toad venom. Authorities stated no foul play.
Yury Voronov – CEO of Astra-Shipping (contractor for Gazprom)
Died: July 4, 2022 – Gunshot to the head
Found dead in his swimming pool outside St. Petersburg with a pistol nearby. Investigators could not determine whether it was suicide or murder.
Ravil Maganov – Chairman of the board at Lukoil
Died: September 1, 2022 – Fall from hospital window
Reportedly fell from the 6th floor of a Moscow hospital. Lukoil attributed his death to illness.
Ivan Pechorin – Managing Director at Far East and Arctic Development Corp.
Died: September 6, 2022 – Fell overboard from a boat
Reportedly fell into the Sea of Japan while traveling at high speed near Vladivostok. His body was found two days later.
Dmitry Zelenov – Co-founder of Don-Stroy (real estate)
Died: December 9, 2022 – Fall down stairs
Collapsed and fell over a railing while visiting friends in Antibes, France. Died at the hospital shortly after.
Pavel Antov – Legislator and founder of Vladimirsky Standard
Died: December 24, 2022 – Fall from hotel window
Fell from the 3rd floor of a hotel in India, two days after a colleague on the same trip died of a heart attack.
Vladimir Makarov – Former Deputy Chief at Interior Ministry
Died: February 13, 2023 – Gunshot (suicide)
Found dead with a self-inflicted wound shortly after being dismissed from his post. His wife was present at the time.
Marina Yankina – Head of finance for Western Military District
Died: February 16, 2023 – Fall from building
Found dead outside a high-rise building in St. Petersburg. No confirmed cause given publicly.
Viatcheslav Rovneiko – Oil executive and former KGB officer
Died: February 22, 2023 – Sudden unexplained death
Found unconscious at his home near Moscow. No cause of death officially disclosed.
Igor Shkurko – Deputy Director at Yakutskenergo
Died: April 4, 2023 – Hanging in detention
Found dead in jail while awaiting trial for bribery. Authorities said there were no signs of foul play.
Pyotr Kucherenko – Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education
Died: May 20, 2023 – Sudden illness on flight
Collapsed during a flight from Cuba to Moscow. The aircraft made an emergency landing, but he could not be revived.
Anton Cherepennikov – CEO of ICS Holding (tech and cybersecurity)
Died: July 22, 2023 – Cardiac arrest
Found dead in his office in Moscow. Official cause was cardiac arrest. He was 40 years old and considered in good health.
Gennady Lopyrev – Ex-FSO General (Federal Protective Service)
Died: August 16, 2023 – Acute leukemia
Died two days after being diagnosed while serving a prison sentence. Had previously overseen security projects tied to the Kremlin.
Yevgeny Prigozhin – Head of Wagner Group
Died: August 23, 2023 – Plane crash
Killed when his private jet exploded midair in Tver Oblast. Death occurred two months after leading a mutiny against Russian military leadership.
Dmitry Utkin – Military Commander of Wagner Group
Died: August 23, 2023 – Plane crash
Died in the same plane crash as Prigozhin. Former GRU officer and co-founder of Wagner.
Vitaly Robertus – Vice President at Lukoil
Died: March 13, 2024 – Hanging (suicide)
Found dead in his office in Moscow. Official cause was suicide.
Alexander Surikov – Russian Ambassador to Mozambique
Died: May 11, 2024 – Stroke (unconfirmed)
Found dead at his residence in Maputo. Russia declined a local autopsy. Preliminary cause cited was stroke.
Natalia Larina – Former judge of the Moscow Tagansky District Court
Died: June 5, 2024 – Fall from building
Fell from a high-rise apartment in Moscow. Reportedly defrauded shortly before her death. A note was left behind.
Mikhail Rogachev – Former executive at Yukos, Norilsk Nickel
Died: October 20, 2024 – Fall from apartment window
Found dead outside his Moscow home. Authorities treated the fall from the 10th floor as a likely suicide.
This list highlights a pattern of unexplained or suspicious deaths among prominent Russian individuals across various strategic sectors—especially energy, defense, and politics. Many of these deaths occurred under similar circumstances: falls from windows, sudden illness, suicide in unusual settings, or incidents abroad. In several cases, the official explanations were vague or unconfirmed, fueling speculation and media scrutiny.
War Wings Daily is an independant magazine.