Another Russian official ‘falls’ out of window as Putin grows more and more determined
A Russian anti-terror boss has reportedly plummeted to his death from a window, adding to a trail of dead officials as a desperate Vladimir Putin faces pressure
Another high-ranking Russian official has died in mysterious circumstances
Another high-ranking Russian official has died in mysterious circumstances after reportedly falling from a window – just after stepping down from his post. Colonel Sergei Shalaginov was discovered dead on Tuesday outside an apartment block on Shchorsa Street in Yekaterinburg, roughly 800 miles east of Moscow.
The former deputy chief of the Centre for Combating Extremism in the Sverdlovsk region reportedly plummeted from the ninth floor, with blurred images showing a body lying on the pavement below.
The strange death adds to a growing list of Russian elites and top businessmen who have plunged out of windows since the invasion of Ukraine began. Conflicting accounts quickly surfaced following the incident.
Colonel Sergei Shalaginov was discovered dead outside an apartment block in the city of Yekaterinburg (archive image)(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Pro-Kremlin site URA.ru initially claimed Shalaginov died by suicide after a fallout with ministry bosses, but Ukrainian outlet UA.News noted that the article was swiftly deleted.
Sverdlovsk Internal Affairs Ministry confirmed the death while denying any internal conflict. Spokesperson Valery Gorelykh claimed Shalaginov had turned down a promotion, dismissed rumors linking the death to his job and called it “an irreparable loss.”
Local reports from KP-Yekaterinburg and news outlet E1 described him as a well-respected figure who had recently retired, with an unnamed source praising him as “a very good and competent man,” adding that he “always fought for his subordinates.”
The bizarre incident comes as Vladimir Putin faces mounting strain over heavy Russian battlefield casualties in Ukraine
The bizarre incident comes as Vladimir Putin faces mounting strain over heavy Russian battlefield casualties in Ukraine.
It follows targeted strikes against Russia’s oil infrastructure, which have sparked long petrol queues across the country.
Desperate to find a way out, peace talks appear to be gathering pace. Kremlin footage released today showed US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meeting Putin in Moscow.
Addressing the negotiators, Putin admitted that the current situation “is not so easy” before promising to explain “how we see the situation.”
Witkoff thanked the Russian leader for agreeing to a brief three-day pause on capital strikes, ahead of follow-up talks in Kyiv.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the envoys were “bringing with them a proposal to end the war.”
