Death of Ravil Maganov joins a long list of ‘strange deaths’ of Russian oligarchs

This Thursday, September 1, Russian media confirmed the death of Ravil Maganov, a 67-year-old Russian businessman, who currently served as president of the Lukoil oil company, listed as the largest in Russia.

Yes ok Maganov’s death was reported by different international agencies as a case of ‘apparent suicide’, this new episode sows a blanket of doubts about the veracity of the information regarding the reasons for his death. This is because it is presented in the context of other deaths of people close to the Vladimir Putin regime, or related to the Gazprom company, in recent times, and who have also been classified as ‘strange’.

In the case of the leader of the Lukoil company, it has been reported that his death occurred after he fell from the window of a hospital in the city of Moscowplace where he was confined, after having suffered a heart condition, being the reasons for death, precisely the injuries derived from the fall.

In this sense, the death of Maganov, who had worked at Lukoil since the mid-1990s, was presented as a case of suicide, but it casts doubt on the fact that the aforementioned company that he directed had been one of those that, within the framework of the offensive deployed by the Kremlin in Ukraine since last February 24, he had expressed his disagreement.

This death also occurs a few months after, in April, one of the top managers of the company, Vaguit Alekperov, former president of the group, decided to separate from him, after the British authorities, within the framework of the sanctions imposed to Russia, put his name on the blacklist.

The halo of doubt is planted in the case because, according to various international media, it is not the first nor the only death of Russian businessmen or oligarchs recorded in recent months; some even occurred in territories beyond the borders of Russia, viewed with some care as they correspond to people close to the regime, and also have as a common factor: they were presented as ‘deaths resulting from self-inflicted injuries’.

The string of deaths, which now exceeds six, according to European media, began even before the invasion of Ukraine materialized.

The first case associated with this halo of doubt is that of the former head of transportation for the Gazprom firm, Leonid Shulmanwhose death occurred in January.

In that case, the death of the 60-year-old man, a senior executive of the energy company, was reported after he was found lying in the bathroom of his residence, with obvious injuries to his wrists.

About this death, it had been pointed out that the man left a supposed note explaining the reasons for his decision, which was associated with physical problems derived from an injury to one of his legs, however, centers of thought reported that the death, for suicide, would be related to a case of business corruption in which he would be involved.

The second case included in the list of ‘strange deaths’ occurred just hours after the start of the invasion of Ukraine and has as its victim or protagonist Alexander Tyulyakovthen Deputy Director General for Corporate Security at Gazprom.

Regarding the death of this 65-year-old man, the authorities reported that they had found him hanged in a farm located in Saint Petersburg. At the time, it was also noted that the company launched an internal investigation to collaborate with the authorities in clarifying the death.

The third of the cases occurred in foreign territory, more precisely in the United Kingdom, and involves a 66-year-old man, a well-known oil and gas industry magnate: Michael Watford.

In this case, which occurred just four days after the start of the invasion of Ukraine, the cause of death reported by the authorities was also hanging.

The fourth case involved the millionaire Vasily Melnikov and his family, who were found inside his home, dead as a result of an anonymous attack, with a knife; it was found at the crime scene.

In the case of Vasily Melnikovwas a 41-year-old businessman, linked to the company MedStom, one of those related to the list of sanctions imposed by the West in reprimand for the attacks in Ukraine. In addition to Melnikov, his wife and his two daughters were found at the scene.

Although the first versions of the crime referred to a case of suicide, pointing out that the man had killed his close circle and then took his life, versions of relatives and relatives collected by European media indicate that they disagree with the official part, ruling that the man was not capable of killing his family.

In that sense, it was known that the businessman was going through a difficult economic situation due to the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West.

Until today, the list of strange deaths was closed by businessmen Vladislav Avaev and Sergei Protosenya, which occurred at the end of April, almost simultaneously.

In the case of Sergei Protosenya, the death occurred in Spain, and is also being investigated as a case of suicide, in which the former shareholder of the Russian gas firm Novatek would have mowed down his life after murdering his wife and one of his daughters, in a case that occurred in the town of Gerona.

In that case, it was reported that the 55-year-old man had killed his 53-year-old wife and 16-year-old daughter, later hanging himself in the garden of a country house.

In the case of Vladislav Avaevwas the former vice president of Gazprombank, and had served as an adviser to the Kremlin.

His death occurred a day before that of Protosenya, in the vicinity of a Moscow apartment, where the man’s body was found, in addition to that of his wife and daughter, only 26 years old.

In the case of the death of the former adviser, it was also pointed out that it was a case in which the man had murdered his wife and daughter, and later took his own life.

The man was found, according to international media, with a gun in his hand, and locked up.

Although it is not a case of death, in the list of “strange” situations that have occurred to oligarchs and people close to Putin who have demonstrated against the war in Ukraine, it is also worth mentioning the case of former Kremlin adviser Anatoly Chubais, who had to be hospitalized in a clinic in Italy due to the appearance of sudden health problems.

Although initially Chubais’ ailments were referred to a possible case of Guillain barrelater they are studied under the magnifying glass of a possible case of “poisoning”, being similar to those manifested at the time by the opposition leader Alexei Navalni, who was treated in Germany.

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Putin’s former adviser had left Russia last March, precisely after expressing his disagreement with the actions taken in Ukraine.

A recent interview revealed by the British media BBC with the Russian billionaire boris mints, would also shed light to understand the current situation in the upper Russian business spheres. He said that few are able to express themselves against Putin and instead maintain a resigned silence despite being against the actions taken, because “they are afraid.”

Fear of what? In the interview, the billionaire acknowledged that within his country the “energetic” way in which the government leader lashes out at his opponents is recognized, warning that many times the reprisals are not only against the leaders of the companies, but against their families. and employees.

In this sense, Mints, who spoke out against the annexation of Crimea in 2014, recalled the case of Boris Nemtsov, opposition leader who was shot to death in 2015in which case the government has remained silent and claims no connection to the crime.

Along the same lines, and despite not being a case of death, the billionaire also recalled the case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a businessman, once considered the richest in his country, who had to serve a prison sentence. This was explained by a case of tax evasion, which according to Mints had as a background a question of political opposition, in which the Kremlin seeks to annul its detractors, even if they are businessmen, fearing that they may finance political movements contrary to it.

In this sense, the billionaire clarified that “not all Russian businessmen are pro-Putin, and not all rich Russians are ‘oligarchs’”, warning that this term is used for people with a certain economic capacity who are close to the Putin regime and even that they owe their fortune to their relationship with him.

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