ANOTHER WEALTHY RUSSIAN, AND PUTIN CRITIC, IS DEAD. THIS TIME IT HAPPENED IN INDIA AND INVOLVED ANOTHER WINDOW.
ON CHRISTMAS, IT WAS ANNOUNCED 65-YEAR-OLD PAVEL ANTOV WAS DEAD. ANTOV, A RUSSIAN POLITICIAN AND MILLIONAIRE MANY TIMES OVER, WAS ON VACATION IN EASTERN INDIA WITH FRIENDS CELEBRATING HIS BIRTHDAY.
INITIAL REPORTS OUT OF INDIA SAID ANTOV DIED BY SUICIDE, BUT LATER REPORTS FROM RUSSIAN MEDIA SIMPLY SAID ANTOV FELL OUT OF A WINDOW. THE DEATH COMES JUST TWO DAYS AFTER ONE OF ANTOV’S FRIENDS DIED OF A HEART ATTACK AT THE SAME HOTEL IN INDIA.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, A MESSAGE POSTED TO ONE OF ANTOV’S SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS WAS CRITICAL OF RUSSIAN MISSILE STRIKES ON CIVILIAN POPULATIONS. THE MESSAGE WAS QUICKLY REMOVED, AND ANTOV POSTED ANOTHER MESSAGE SAYING HE SUPPORTED PRESIDENT PUTIN, WAS A PATRIOT AND BACKED THE WAR.
2022 HAS BEEN A DEADLY YEAR FOR RICH RUSSIANS WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN CRITICAL OF VLADIMIR PUTIN AND HIS WAR IN UKRAINE.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, DMITRY ZELENOV DIED IN FRANCE AFTER HE REPORTEDLY FELL DOWN SOME STAIRS, AND THEN OVER A RAILING, LANDING ON HIS HEAD. IN APRIL, SERGEY PROTOSENYA ALLEGEDLY KILLED HIS FAMILY WITH AN AX BEFORE HANGING HIMSELF IN SPAIN. IN OCTOBER, RAVIL MAGANOV DIED AT A HOSPITAL, AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY TRIPPED AND FELL OUT OF A WINDOW WHILE SMOKING.