Russian embassy staff member found dead as former CEO goes missing in Cyprus

Cyprus police have reported the disappearance of Vladislav Baumgertner, a Russian businessman and former CEO of Uralkali, a Russian potash fertiliser producer and exporter, who has been uncontactable since 7 January. The Russian embassy in Cyprus later 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: Baumgertner was last seen leaving his residence in Limassol. Later, one of his employees reported that the former Uralkali chief 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 signal from Baumgertner's mobile phone was recorded on a steep, rocky stretch of coastline. On 11 January, the search operation was expanded to include aircraft, but it was later suspended due to an approaching storm.

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

Shortly afterwards, the Russian embassy in Cyprus announced the death of a staff member, A.V. Panov, but provided no details. Local media reported that he had taken his own life.

Cypriot TV channel ANT1 said the senior embassy official had been found dead in his office at around midday on 8 January. According to ANT1, the Cypriot authorities were only informed several hours later, and police officers who arrived at the scene were denied entry.

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

The Russian embassy said in a statement that it wishes to repatriate the diplomat's body as soon as possible.

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