Russian high-ranking officials with names have died 20 in three years, and the causes of death are surprisingly similar. What is the Kremlin hiding?

The Russian Minister of Transport was dismissed and later committed suicide. On the same day, a deputy director of the Russian Federal Railways also suddenly passed away during a meeting, with the cause of death being cardiac arrest.

These two events occurred one after another, making it difficult not to attract public attention. Moreover, just a few days ago, an energy magnate also fell to his death in his own apartment.

【Russian Minister of Transport was dismissed one year after taking office, and he committed suicide the same day】

This is very suspicious. Some people even compiled a set of cases, claiming that since the Ukraine-Russia conflict began three years ago, there have been as many as 20 "strange deaths" among Russian high-ranking officials, covering a wide range from leaders of security agencies to local administrative officials and oligarchic executives of energy companies, all appearing on the list.

Moreover, their methods of death are quite similar, either suicide, falling from a height, or collectively categorized as "cardiac arrest."

When it comes to "cardiac arrest," it's hard not to think of the similar tactics used by U.S. and Soviet intelligence agencies during the Cold War, where such incidents as "cardiac arrest" and "assassination" were common. Putin himself was once a KGB officer, which makes it difficult not to think in this direction.

Additionally, this list may be somewhat conservative. If we don't limit it to officials, then the former Wagner leader Prigozhin would also be on the list. His death remains a mystery, and the Kremlin has shown no willingness to conduct a thorough investigation.

【In extraordinary times, extraordinary data is hard not to speculate about】

Given that Russia is currently in an extraordinary period, such extraordinary data naturally attracts attention and speculation.

Let's start with the most recent one, the transport minister who committed suicide. He was dismissed by the Kremlin just before, and his body was found in a car shortly after. It is still unclear whether his death had a direct connection to his dismissal.

However, his situation was indeed very bad at that time. Due to frequent abnormal attacks from Ukraine, the Russian transportation system faced great difficulties. As the Minister of Transport, Starovoit did not come up with effective solutions, so it's expected that dissatisfaction arose.

Nevertheless, the Kremlin has clarified that Putin's replacement of the transport minister was not due to a loss of trust in Starovoit, but rather because they believed others could perform better. Of course, this kind of somewhat ceremonial explanation is hard to convince people.

【Some of these are not Russian high-ranking officials, but were also included in the list】

It is speculated that Starovoit might have committed suicide out of guilt. Before being nominated as the Minister of Transport, he served as the governor of Kursk for five years.

We also know that when the Ukrainian army attacked Kursk, the local defense line almost collapsed completely. Some people believe that the financial condition of Kursk was too corrupt, and the defense funds were misused, which gave Ukraine an opportunity.

With the Russian forces repelling the Ukrainian army in Kursk, the Kremlin finally had a chance to investigate. They found a large amount of financial misconduct. The money intended for building defensive structures disappeared, and the current governor of Kursk was arrested. Starovoit, the former governor, was also under investigation.

The deputy director of the Federal Railways, who died on the same day as him, was theoretically a subordinate of Starovoit. At the time of the incident, he had just learned of his boss's death. However, there is currently no more information about any connection between them.

【Prigozhin also died under mysterious circumstances】

By the way, in the first half of 2025, each month saw a Russian official die under strange circumstances. If it were one or two, it could be explained as an accident, but when accidents happen repeatedly and follow a certain pattern, people begin to look for clues with a magnifying glass.

Combined with Russia's poor record in this regard, it's natural for some to interpret it as a conspiracy theory.

Furthermore, in previous years, there were also many deaths, but none received as much attention as now. One reason is that the Ukraine-Russia war was extremely intense at that time, with both sides not only fighting on the front lines, but also engaging in high-intensity infiltration behind enemy lines.

During that time, many high-ranking officials from both Ukraine and Russia died under mysterious circumstances, but no one thought much about it.

Now, however, Ukraine and Russia have started direct negotiations, and Russia's external environment has improved to some extent. Yet, there are still people dying under strange circumstances, and Russia does not delve into the truth, while Ukraine does not take responsibility, which is quite puzzling.

【The ID card Putin used to "hide" in Germany】

In the face of unresolved cases, rumors are inevitable. Some say that in Russia, "windows are dangerous," because you never know when a high-ranking official or oligarch might fall down. Although there is a humorous element, it also indicates that this phenomenon is "common" in Russia.

Generally speaking, if these high-ranking officials' strange deaths are determined to be suicides, the Russian government will not conduct further investigations on the official level, allowing them to develop into unsolved cases. As for how the outside world speculates, the Kremlin remains indifferent.

Meanwhile, Ukraine never misses an opportunity to wage a propaganda war against Russia.

Its former senior officials in the security sector are particularly active, claiming that this is the Russian security agency "eliminating rivals," and that this is their "usual method": either the person commits suicide to protect their family and property, or the entire family is imprisoned and thoroughly cleaned up. However, they have not provided more evidence, but the truth is not important. As long as someone believes it, it's enough.

In other words, when conspiracy theories are applied to the Russian political arena, there is hardly any sense of incongruity, and there are many people who believe in it. Why this situation has arisen, the Kremlin needs to reflect seriously.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524650839958274595/

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