19th Russian top executive dies under suspicious circumstances since start of all-out war, media reports
Alexey Sinitsyn, CEO of potash producer K-Potash Service, was found dead near Kaliningrad, becoming the 19th Russian executive to die under mysterious circumstances since the start of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine, the Moscow Times reported on Sept. 8.
Since 2022, at least 19 top executives and businessmen, many linked to Russia's oil and gas giants, including Lukoil, Gazprom, and Transneft, have died under suspicious circumstances in Russia and abroad.
Sinitsyn's body was found decapitated under a bridge. A tow rope was also attached to the body, Russian state-run media outlet RIA Novosti reported, citing its source in law enforcement.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Previously, Dmitry Osipov, chairman of the board at Uralkali, one of Russia's largest potash producers, and Mikhail Kenin, founder and majority shareholder of leading real estate developer Samolet, both died last month. The causes of death have not been disclosed.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a series of deaths under unclear or unusual circumstances have been reported not only in the business community but also among law enforcement and government officials.
Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) counterintelligence officer Vladimir Feshchenko was found dead in a Russian Defense Ministry building in Moscow in January.
Feshchenko's death highlights mounting internal tensions within Russia’s security and military institutions amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
