A string of sudden deaths among Russia’s elite raises eyebrows amid ongoing conflict

In a series of events that seem ripped from the pages of a political thriller, the Russian oil industry and military hierarchy have been shaken by a series of mysterious deaths. The latest in this unsettling pattern is Vitaly Robertus, the vice president of the Russian oil giant Lukoil, who passed away “suddenly” at the age of 54. His death marks the fifth high-profile figure linked to the company to die under enigmatic circumstances since the onset of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Lukoil, one of Russia’s largest oil companies, has seen a troubling trend with four executives and one senator with close ties to the firm meeting untimely ends since the war began. The company, which initially called for negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine, has faced speculation about its loyalty to Putin, potentially placing its top figures in a precarious position.

Robertus, who had been with Lukoil for over three decades, was not only a prominent executive but also an accomplished aero-modeller and a qualified pilot. The announcement of his death was brief, with the company expressing deep condolences but providing no details about the cause or circumstances.

This pattern of sudden deaths began with billionaire Alexander Subbotin, a former top manager at Lukoil, who was found dead in May 2022 under bizarre circumstances involving toad venom. Following him, Lukoil tycoon Ravil Maganov died in September 2022 after falling from a window of Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital. The circumstances surrounding his death sparked suspicions of foul play, despite official reports suggesting it was an accident.

Adding to the intrigue, Vladimir Nekrasov, the chairman of Lukoil’s board of directors, and Russian senator Vladimir Lebedev, both died “suddenly” in November, with scant details provided. Lebedev’s colleagues described him as healthy, and his death came as a “deep shock.”

The unsettling trend extends beyond the oil industry to the military, with several Russian generals meeting mysterious ends since the war’s inception. Colonel-General Gennady Zhidko and General Vladimir Sviridov, both with distinguished military careers, died under unclear circumstances, with official explanations leaving more questions than answers.

These deaths have cast a long shadow over Russia’s elite, with speculation rampant about the possible involvement of internal power struggles or covert actions against those perceived as disloyal or inconvenient. As the world watches the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the series of untimely demises among Russia’s prominent figures adds a layer of intrigue and suspicion to an already complex geopolitical landscape.