Russian embassy staff member found dead and former senior official gone missing in Cyprus

Cyprus police have reported the disappearance of Vladislav Baumgertner, a Russian businessman and former head of Uralkali, a Russian potash fertiliser producer and exporter, who has been out of contact since 7 January. Later, the Russian embassy in Cyprus reported the death of one of its staff members, who may have taken his own life.

Source: Meduza, a Latvia-based Russian news outlet; Kommersant, a Russian news outlet; Cypriot broadcaster ANT1

Details: The former Uralkali chief was last seen leaving his place of residence in Limassol. Later, one of his employees reported that Baumgertner was not responding to repeated phone calls.

On 10 January, specialist teams carried out searches in hard-to-reach terrain near the village of Pissouri. The last mobile phone signal from Baumgertner was recorded on a steep, rocky stretch of coastline. On 11 January, the search operation was expanded to include aircraft but was later suspended due to an approaching storm.

Baumgertner headed Uralkali from 2003 to 2013 and had been living in Cyprus in recent years.

Subsequently, the Russian embassy in Cyprus reported, without providing details, the death of its staff member Panov. Local media report that the man took his own life.

According to ANT1, the body of a senior embassy official was found in his office at around midday on 8 January. The channel claims that the Cypriot authorities were informed of the incident only several hours later and that police officers who arrived at the scene were denied entry.

It is reported that police were later handed the body in the courtyard of the embassy complex and told that the cause of death was suicide. It is also reported that the deceased left a note, which the embassy promised to send to Moscow but refused to disclose its contents.

The Russian embassy said it wants to repatriate the diplomat's body as soon as possible.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!