Mysterious rash of Russian deaths casts suspicion on Vladimir Putin
Oren Dorell , USA TODAY Published 5:04 a.m. ET May 2, 2017
A former member of the Russian parliament is gunned down in broad daylight in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. A longtime Russian ambassador to the United Nations drops dead at work. A Russian-backed commander in the breakaway Ukrainian province of Donetsk is blown up in an elevator. A Russian media executive is found dead in his Washington, D.C., hotel room.
What do they have in common? They are among 38 prominent Russians who are victims of unsolved murders or suspicious deaths since the beginning of 2014, according to a list compiled by USA TODAY and British journalist Sarah Hurst, who has done research in Russia.
The list contains 10 high-profile critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, seven diplomats, six associates of Kremlin power brokers who had a falling out — often over corruption — and 13 military or political leaders involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, including commanders of Russian-backed separatist forces. Two are possibly connected to a dossier alleging connections between President Trump's campaign staff and Kremlin officials that was produced by a former British spy and shared with the FBI.
Twelve were shot, stabbed or beaten to death. Six were blown up. Ten died allegedly of natural causes. One died of mysterious head injuries, one reportedly slipped and hit his head in a public bath, one was hanged in his jail cell, and one died after drinking coffee. The cause of six deaths was reported as unknown.
More:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/05/02/dozens-russian-deaths-cast-suspicion-vladimir-putin/100480734/
Suspicious Russian deaths: Sacrificial pawns or coincidence?
Dozens of high-profile Russians have died in the past three years in Russia and abroad in suspicious circumstances. Russian President Vladimir Putin has long dealt with opponents harshly. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in March that Putin “has murdered his political opponents and rules like an authoritarian dictator.” Prominent critics of the Russian leader who had been murdered in previous years include journalists, anti-corruption activists and politicians. Most of the recent deaths were people with information that could be damaging to people in the Kremlin, and fall under several categories.
By Sarah Hurst, Oren Dorell & George Petras
May 2, 2017
https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/suspicious-russian-deaths-sacrificial-pawns-or-coincidence/
The second link is a list of the 38 people who have died, the method of death, and information about each that could explain why their deaths might be convenient for Putin.
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