Mystery Surrounds Death of Russian Officer

A high-ranking Russian police officer, tasked with combating terrorism, was found dead under mysterious circumstances. Colonel Sergei Shalaginov died after falling from a window shortly after resigning. The incident adds to the list of unexplained deaths of top Russian officials.

Shalaginov’s body was discovered outside a building in Yekaterinburg, about 800 miles from Moscow. He had served as the deputy head of the Center for Combating Extremism at Sverdlovsk region’s Internal Affairs Ministry. Newsweek reached out to the investigative committee for comments on the case.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, several Russian officials have died from falls in incidents that remain largely unexplained. Though no direct link to the war is known, Russian media has given varying accounts of Shalaginov’s death, which have caught the attention of Ukrainian outlets.

The pro-Russian URA.ru website reported that Shalaginov died by suicide after being dismissed due to disagreements with leadership. But the article was reportedly removed later.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs’s Sverdlovsk department confirmed Shalaginov’s death but denied any internal conflict. Valery Gorelykh, a police spokesperson, mentioned that Shalaginov declined a promotion and dismissed any professional reasons linked to his death, calling it “an irreparable loss.”

Local media “KP-Yekaterinburg” mentioned Shalaginov recently retired from leadership roles in law enforcement. An unnamed source praised Shalaginov for being “a very good and competent man, he always fought for his subordinates.”

Images online showed a blurred body beside a residential building in Yekaterinburg, reportedly from the ninth floor. Visegrad, an Eastern European outlet, confirmed Shalaginov’s fall.

Russian General Targeted in Assassination Attempt

In a related incident, Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, associated with an attack on a Ukrainian children’s hospital, was shot in an assassination attempt. Varpakhovich was attacked in the village of Probuzhdenie. A shooter, arriving on a motorcycle, shot him in the torso and face. Currently, he remains in critical condition.

While Russian officials haven’t named the victim, pro-war Telegram channels identified Varpakhovich. Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal probe, citing attempted murder and arms trafficking in relation to the attack on a serviceman.

Kyiv accused Varpakhovich of leading a missile strike on Ukraine’s Okhmatdet Children’s Hospital in July 2024, during his command of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. Newsweek contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.