In June a female Russian bank executive fell from her 11-story penthouse to her death on a Moscow Street below. Kristina Baikova, 28 was reportedly another victim of the so-called “Russian Sudden Death Syndrome” which has claimed more than 75 victims since Russia invaded Ukraine.

An exact number of the targeted deaths is not possible. This modern-day Russian purge seems to be taking place all over the globe at an alarming rate.

Putin appears to be erasing his enemies from the top leaders of the Wagner group to other top military, business executives, judges, journalists, and scientists are being killed off.  

The top executives who work for Russia-based Lukoil seem to be targeted.

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Vladimir Nekrasov, the 66-year-old chairman of the Lukoil board of directors, recently passed away "suddenly" at his Moscow residence, marking the third suspicious death to strike the Russian gas giant in the past 18 months. 

Nekrasov's death took place at his Moscow residence. Russian state media says the coroner claims that preliminary findings suggest it was due to "acute heart failure." 

Russian Sudden Death Syndrome Continues

The last two years have been marked by several suspicious deaths affecting Russian oil tycoons. Some observers believe these incidents might be part of a purge within President Vladimir Putin's inner circle. 

In April 2023, Igor Shkurko, an energy executive embroiled in a bribery scandal, was found lifeless in his cell. His tragic end came after he had been charged with bribery and had vehemently contested the allegations, deeming them unjust. 

Just a day after his defiant response to the court, Shkurko's life was abruptly cut short.

Nekrasov's fate parallels that of Ravil Maganov, another tycoon affiliated with Lukoil. In September 2022, Maganov fell from a window at Moscow's prestigious Central Clinical Hospital, where he was ostensibly receiving treatment for a heart ailment. 

According to official reports, the incident occurred at around 7:30 a.m., and authorities suggested that death resulted from injuries sustained in the fall. Suicide was also considered among the possible explanations for the tragic event.

Billionaire Alexander Subbotin, who had connections to Lukoil, also met an untimely demise in May 2022. Russian authorities stated that he died while seeking a hangover cure from a shaman. 

However, Kremlin critics have expressed suspicions that he may have been poisoned. Radio Free Europe reported that Subbotin had gone to Shaman Magua, also known as Aleksei Pindyurin, under the influence of alcohol and drugs, seeking a ritual to alleviate hangover symptoms.

Shake-up at Lukoil Oil 

 All three men held top positions within Lukoil, a company that had openly expressed its disapproval of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Just after President Putin initiated his "special operation" in Ukraine on March 3, 2022, Lukoil's board of directors released an official statement conveying their deep concern over the ongoing tragic events in Ukraine and their support for a peaceful resolution through diplomatic means.

While these three oil chiefs from Lukoil are indeed significant examples of these peculiar fatalities, this pattern extends beyond the company and even beyond the Russian oil sector. 

Since the invasion of Ukraine suspicious deaths among Russia's wealthy and powerful have become a disturbing trend. These deaths are raising questions about the safety and stability of the nation's elite circles.