Russian singer-songwriter Vadim Stroykin died on Feb. 6 while security officials were raiding his apartment, the Russian human rights NGO OVD-Info reported.
Stroykin reportedly fell out of a window while officers were visiting his home as part of a criminal investigation into the singer's alleged donation to Ukraine's Armed Forces.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify this report.
Russian media claimed that Stroykin withdrew to another room while officers were raiding his St. Petersburg apartment. He then fell out of a 10th-floor window and reportedly died at the scene. At least one Russian outlet has referred to his death as a "suicide."
Russia's Investigative Committee has reportedly launched an investigation into Stroykin's death.
Stroykin previously spoke out against Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the social media website VKontakte in 2022. His posts condemned the war and criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Since the 2022 invasion, a number of prominent Russian figures have mysteriously died after falling from windows. Acclaimed Russian ballet dancer Vladimir Shklyarov, who also denounced the war in Ukraine, died in November 2024 after allegedly falling from his fifth-floor apartment.
Shklyarov's death was reported as an "accident."
Russia has also detained and imposed harsh prison sentences against citizens for publicly criticizing the war or donating small sums of money to Ukrainian charities — acts that are now considered treason under the Russian criminal code.
Kate Tsurkan
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