Russian oil executive dies after falling from hospital window, sources say
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Ravil Maganov, the chairman of Russia's second-largest oil producer, Lukoil, died on Thursday after falling from a hospital window in Moscow, two sources familiar with the situation said, becoming the latest in a series of businessmen to meet with sudden unexplained deaths.
The sources confirmed reports by several Russian media outlets that the 67-year-old had plunged to his death, but the circumstances surrounding his fall were unclear.
Two people who knew Maganov well told Reuters they believed it was highly unlikely he had committed suicide.
Another source close to the company said there was a belief inside Lukoil management that he had killed himself, but he had not seen evidence or documents to support that.
Asked by Reuters if they were investigating the death as suspicious, Moscow police referred the question to the state's Investigative Committee. The Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lukoil said in a statement that Maganov had "passed away following a serious illness."
"Lukoil's many thousands of employees mourn deeply for this grievous loss and express their sincere condolences to Ravil Maganov's family," it said.
Other unexplained deaths
Several other senior executives with ties to Russia's energy industry have died suddenly in unclear circumstances in the past few months.
The day after Russia sent its forces into Ukraine in February, a Gazprom executive, Alexander Tyulakov, was found dead in his garage near St. Petersburg, Russian media reported.
In April, Sergei Protosenya, a former top manager of Russia's largest liquefied natural gas producer, Novatek, was found dead with his wife and daughter at a villa in Spain. Catalan regional police, investigating the case, have said they believe he killed them and then took his own life.
In May, Russian media reported a former Lukoil manager, Alexander Subbotin, was found dead in the basement of a house outside Moscow.
The same month, Russian media said that Vladislav Avayev, an ex-vice president of Gazprombank, was found dead in a Moscow apartment, also with the bodies of his wife and daughter.
Maganov had worked at Lukoil since 1993, shortly after the company's inception, and had overseen its refining, production and exploration, becoming chairman in 2020. His brother Nail is the head of mid-sized Russian oil producer Tatneft.
Unusually among Russian companies, Lukoil took a stand over Moscow's intervention in Ukraine. In a March 3 statement, the company's board of directors expressed its concern over the "tragic events" in Ukraine and called for the "soonest possible end to armed conflict" via negotiations.
Maganov was a close associate of one of Lukoil's founders, Vagit Alekperov, and frequently took part in meetings of Russian oil producers and the energy ministry to decide on joint actions as part of the OPEC+ group of leading global oil producers.
Alekperov, a former Soviet deputy oil minister, resigned as president of Lukoil in April, a week after Britain imposed an asset freeze and travel ban on him as part of sanctions over Russia's military actions in Ukraine.
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Just another death by natural causes ... Russia seems to have a problem with gravity.
You've noticed that too?.. crazy how many have been falling out of windows. Perhaps they should start making their windows smaller.
meh, he wouldn't swallow the poison...
Somebody couldn't get close enough to him with an umbrella
Going off topic ... Fish Slippers Beach Shoes Pool Non-Slip
Cool
Morning...do they come in white pointer sharks??.
Hopefully this defenestration doesn't cause a 30 year war.
I'm wondering if it's the Oligarchs killing themselves having lost everything OR the KGB cleaning house?
I'll take KGB Cleaning House for a $1000, Alex
Very suspicious with 2 of the dead were found with their dead family
Everyone knows that in Russia when the head of the house dies, the whole family dies of osmosis.
Wonder how he ran afoul of Vicious Vlad? Seems like it don't take much nowadays. It was not the fall that killed him, it was the sudden loss of momentum at the end...
These people are nuts...
At least COD was quicker and more merciful than polonium soup
Oh I think it is very likely he did fall from the hospital window!!...Pukey would never instigate such a terrible act.. surprised he hasn't said the USA did it ..
Just very unfortunate about the hand prints on Maganovs back they couldn't remove..