Main points
- From early 2022 to mid-2025, there were at least 34 mysterious deaths of high-ranking officials and businessmen in Russia, most of whom worked in strategically important industries.
- The international community InformNapalm points to the possibility of violent actions to conceal corruption schemes, as well as targeted efforts to control and intimidate elites during an unstable period for the aggressor country.
Analysis of mysterious deaths of top managers in Russia since 2022 / Photo by Russian media
The period from early 2022 to mid-2025 is marked by a number of high-profile deaths in Russia. We are talking about high-ranking officials, businessmen and top managers of large companies.
This was reported by 24 Kanal , citing the international intelligence community InformNapalm. Volunteers analyzed dozens of cases of death under strange circumstances.
Mysterious Deaths in Russia
The analysis is based on open source reports and includes 34 deaths that occurred between January 30, 2022 and July 7, 2025.
The overwhelming majority of those killed occupied key positions in sectors of strategic importance to Russia: oil and gas, finance, defense industry, as well as in the sphere of transport and public administration.
InformNapalm pointed out a trend – both in the type of suicide and in attempts by third parties or Russian special services to hide corruption or other secrets by eliminating key players and arranging murders to look like suicides.
Mysterious Deaths of Russia's Top Managers / Infographics by InformNapalm
The peak of deaths (19 cases) occurred in 2022, which coincides with the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a significant increase in international sanctions.
Interestingly, the majority of those who died were in one way or another connected to the oil and gas industry and the financial sector – the unexplained circumstances of the deaths concern areas that are key to the functioning of the Russian economy and political system.
An analysis of the circumstances reveals several recurring “scenarios”:
- “suicides” and “family tragedies” are the most common categories;
- falling from a height is the second most common scenario;
- “accidents” and “sudden” deaths;
- deaths from violence;
- death in pre-trial detention;
- “found dead.”
The most likely version of the causes of death, considered through the prism of violent death, is the elimination of witnesses . Many of the deceased held positions that provided access to confidential information about corruption schemes, financial fraud with money laundering or other secrets related to senior management or large projects.
The general trend points to targeted and centralized actions aimed at controlling and intimidating the elites during an unstable period for Russia, InformNapalm concludes.
By the way, Russian opposition media also drew attention to a number of mysterious deaths – they counted at least 20 incidents since the start of the full-scale invasion. They also drew attention to the stories of Marina Yankina, Pavel Antov, Alexey Ogarev, Ivan Pechorin and the like.
