Death of top Russian oil executive fuels fresh scrutiny of elite's 'window falls'

The unexplained death of a top Russian oil executive on July 4 is fueling renewed scrutiny over the rising number of high-profile Russian officials and businessmen who have died under mysterious circumstances, specifically, have fallen out of windows.

Andrei Badalov, vice president of Transneft, Russia's largest state-controlled pipeline transport company, died after falling from the window of his apartment in Moscow.

Russian state news agency TASS, citing law enforcement sources, claimed the preliminary cause of death was suicide.

While Russian authorities often label these falls as suicides or accidents, others suggest something more deliberate may be at play.

Ivan Stupak, a Ukrainian military analyst and former security service (SBU) officer, said it's likely that Russia's own security services are behind many such deaths.

"They can pressure a person in one way or another. It's a well-known tactic — either you kill yourself, and your family is left in peace with what they have, or they start arrests, imprisonments, and leave everyone destitute," he told the Kyiv Independent.

Wave of suspicious deaths since 2022

Since early 2022, dozens of Russian businessmen, state officials, and industry leaders have died under questionable circumstances.

While many of these cases have officially been labeled as suicides, others involve alleged murder-suicides, mysterious accidents, or unexplained falls.

In April 2022, Vladislav Avayev, vice president of Gazprombank, one of Russia's largest banks, was found dead in Moscow alongside his wife and daughter. Preliminary findings claimed Avaev shot them before turning the gun on himself.

Just days later, former Novatek gas producer executive Sergei Protosenya, his wife, and daughter were discovered dead at a villa in Spain.

Spanish media reported that Protosenya allegedly killed his family and then hanged himself, though the case remains unresolved.

Stupak suggested that not all of the deaths are politically motivated — some may stem from internal business rivalries.

"Apart from business disputes, it could also be a case of unpaid debts, borrowed money, or even embezzlement," he said.

Eight deadly 'falls'

Among the most striking patterns is the recurrence of deaths caused by "falling out of a window." At least seven such incidents have been reported since 2022.

In September 2022, Ravil Maganov, chairman of Russia's second-largest oil firm Lukoil, died after falling from a hospital window in Moscow.

While Lukoil's official obituary cited a "serious illness," state media later reported he had allegedly committed suicide.

That same year, United Russia lawmaker Pavel Antonov was found dead at a hotel in India, lying in a pool of blood beneath his window.

Indian police said Antonov fell from the third floor, and local media reported that he had been "depressed" over the recent death of a friend, who had died in the same hotel days earlier.

Most recently, on Feb. 6, Russian singer-songwriter Vadim Stroykin died during a raid by Russian security forces.

Human rights group OVD-Info reported that Stroykin fell out of a 10th-floor window of his St. Petersburg apartment while officers were conducting a search linked to his alleged donation to Ukraine's Armed Forces.

Russian media called the death a suicide. Stroykin had previously condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and criticized President Vladimir Putin directly.

Physically throwing someone out of a window would require at least two people, making it a loud and risky operation. Yet sometimes, the intent may be precisely to send a message, Stupak added.

"Look at what happened with (Yevgeny) Prigozhin. He could've been poisoned somewhere in Africa, and they could have easily blamed it on spoiled bananas. But they chose a demonstrative, public execution," he said.

Wagner Group founder Prigozhin and other Wagner leaders died in a suspicious plane crash inside Russia in 2023. The crash came two months after Prigozhin led a brief rebellion against the Kremlin.

"So, this could be a warning to others, showing what happens if you don't pay your debts, refuse to hand over business shares, or go against Putin," he added.

Crackdown on elites deepens

In Russia's system, even high-ranking officials aren't safe from internal purges.

"Just recall the case of Timur Ivanov, Russia's deputy defense minister," Stupak said. "He's a Hero of Russia. Yet he was imprisoned, everything was confiscated, and his family was left with nothing."

On July 1, Ivanov was sentenced to 13 years in a penal colony for bribery and embezzlement, the harshest punishment handed down in a recent wave of corruption cases targeting senior defense officials.

"This shows just how ruthless the regime can be," he said. "Either you mysteriously die, or you end up behind bars."

Stupak believes the trend will only continue, driven by infighting and shrinking economic opportunity.

"There are no Western companies left, and domestic business is stagnating. Not every business group can boast of keeping up its volumes," he said.

"Those who refuse to cooperate," he said, "end up either in prison or out the window."

Note from the author:

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