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Senior Russian lawmakers have reportedly criticized the invasion of Russia. Ukraine The Russian government has confirmed in its latest information that he died over the weekend. unexpected death A prominent figure since the war began.
In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education confirmed the death of Deputy Minister of Science Pyotr Kucherenko, 46, on Saturday. The ministry said he “fell ill” on the plane returning the Russian delegation after a trip to Cuba.The plane made an emergency landing in the south. Russia But doctors were unable to save him, the ministry added.
Another Russian oligarch Dmitry Zelenov dies under mysterious circumstances
The statement said the ministry “expresses its deepest condolences” to Kucherenko’s friends and family. The cause of death has not been made public.national broadcasting Zvezda The newspaper added that the family had initially linked his death to heart disease, but insisted a forensic examination was not scheduled until Wednesday.
Independent Russian journalist Roman Super wrote: telegram The channel revealed on Sunday that Mr. Super had spoken to Mr. Kucherenko days before he left Russia following last year’s invasion of Ukraine.
Super described Kucherenko as an “old friend” and said the two spoke openly in Kucherenko’s office. Mr. Super said Mr. Kucherenko encouraged him to leave the country to save himself and his family, saying: “You cannot imagine the level of atrocities in our country. In a year, even the country of Russia will be unrecognizable.” .”
Kucherenko told Super that he would not be able to leave the country because the authorities had confiscated his passport. “After the fascist invasion, no world would be happy to have a deputy minister of Russia,” Kucherenko said, according to Super newspaper.
The journalist claimed that Kucherenko was taking “a handful” of “antidepressants and tranquilizers at the same time”, but said that self-medication “was not really effective.”
“I feel awful,” Super said in Kucherenko’s words. “We are all being held hostage.”
Kucherenko was married to Diana Gurtskaya, a blind pop singer who has won numerous awards in Russia, including the People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, the highest title given to a Russian in the performing arts. Gurtskaya also represented Georgia in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Peace Will Come”, but she ultimately lost out to the Russian entry.
She has also publicly expressed her support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, reportedly saying: 2014 Open Letter A statement from a Russian cultural figure in favor of illegal annexation of Crimea. Gurtskaya married Kucherenko in 2005 and had a son two years later.
Kucherenko’s untimely death is one of many unexpected and high-profile deaths across Russia since the invasion began last year. Russian military personnel, energy executives and outspoken war critics are all dead. puzzling situation Over the first years of war. In February, a military official who criticized the Kremlin for its losses in Ukraine died after falling from the 16th floor. St. Petersburg.
Other celebrities, including members of parliament, have died after falling out of windows. in December Pavel AntoffA wealthy politician and businessman in Putin’s party, he was found dead in front of a hotel in India two days after one of his friends on the same trip died.
A similar accident has befallen a prominent figure in the Russian energy sector. Ravil MaganovThe chairman of Russia’s second-largest oil company Lukoil died in September after falling out of a hospital window in Moscow. Just a few months ago another Lukoil executive died under strange circumstances, and more recently other energy officials have been implicated in suspicious hangings and murder-suicides.
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