CNN’s calls to Gazprom were not returned.
According to Russian state media RIA Novosti, a top Gazprom executive died in his home in the village of Leninsky near Leningrad on January 30, 2022.
RIA reported that a suicide note was found at the scene and that investigators are investigating whether the death was a suicide. Russian state broadcaster RenTv has identified the man as Leonid Shulman, head of the transportation department of Gazprom Invest.
Just a month later, another top executive at Gazprom was found dead in the same village. Alexander Tyulakov was found dead in the garage on February 25, according to Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper. Novaya Gazeta reports that he died by suicide.
CNN has asked Russia’s Investigative Committee for comment on the two incidents but has not yet received a response.
Mikhail Watford, a Russian-Ukrainian billionaire, was found dead in his home in Surrey, England on February 28.
Surrey police told CNN the death was being investigated by the coroner, who said a hearing would be held on July 29.
Another Russian businessman, Vasily Melnikov, was found dead with his family in Nizhny Novgorod at the end of March, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
Melnikov owns MedStom, a medical supplies company. According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, a 43-year-old man, his 41-year-old wife and two 10-year-old children were found stabbed to death on March 23.
The commission did not name Melnikov, but the age of the deceased and the location of the incident are consistent with Kommersant’s report.
The regional branch of the investigative committee did not update their investigation and did not return CNN’s request for comment. At the time of the incident, in March, the agency said there was “no sign of unauthorized entry into the apartment,” and that “the knife was found and seized.”
“[Investigators] The commission said it was looking at several versions of what happened, including the murder of children and wives, followed by a self-immolation death.
And earlier this month, two Russian businessmen died in apparent homicides.
Vladislav Avayev, a former vice president of Gazprombank, was found dead with his wife and daughter in their Moscow apartment on April 18, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
Citing a source in law enforcement, Tass claimed authorities were investigating Avayevs’ death as a homicide-suicide.
Yulia Ivanova, a representative of the Moscow Investigative Committee, was quoted by Tass as saying that a relative discovered the Avayevs’ body after being told by the family driver and nanny that they could not be reached by phone. or unable to enter the apartment. , because the door was closed from the inside.
Igor Volobuev, former Chairman of Gazprombank who recently left Russia for Ukraine, told CNN he does not believe Avayev committed suicide.
“His job was to deal with private banks, which means dealing with VIP clients. He was in charge of huge amounts of money. So he committed suicide? I don’t think so. I think he knows something and that he poses some risk,” Volobuev told CNN.
Just a day later, on April 19, Sergey Protosenya, the former chief executive officer of gas producer Novatek, which is partly owned by Gazprom, was found dead north of Barcelona. The bodies of his wife and daughter were found nearby, an official source close to the investigation told CNN last week.
Protesenya, his wife and daughter were found at their home in Lloret de Mar, a Mediterranean resort near Barcelona.
The bodies of two women, showing signs of abuse, were found inside the family’s luxury home, and Protosenya’s body was found in the garden outside, the source said. The case is being investigated as a double murder and subsequent suicide in a domestic violence case.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Protosenya’s son questioned the version of events, arguing that his father had been murdered instead.
‘He loves my mother and especially my sister Maria. She is his princess. He could never do anything to harm them. I don’t know what happened that night but I do know that my dad didn’t hurt them,” said Fedor Protosenya, who was at the family home in France at the time of the incident.
Catalan police in the province of Girona, where the town of Lloret de Mar is located, told CNN on Friday that “the hypothesis continues to be a case of domestic violence despite the son’s statements.”
The police press official told CNN: “Catalan police have taken the son’s statement. Other theories have been ruled out. In addition, the possibility of a triple murder has been ruled out.” The police press officer told CNN.
“Is that the job of the Russian mafia? Well, no,” the official added.
Novatek, Protosenya’s former owner, says he’s “a wonderful person and a great family man.”
“Unfortunately, there have been speculations on this topic in the media, but we firmly believe that these speculations have nothing to do with reality. We hope that law enforcement agencies Spain will conduct a thorough and objective investigation and find out what happened.” the company said in a statement.
How to get help: In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Friends worldwide can also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.
This story has been updated with Mikhail Watford’s correct spelling of the last name.
CNN’s Zahid Mahmood and Al Goodman contributed reporting.
