Russian oil exec dies after mysteriously falling from hospital window, his company criticised the war in Ukraine

Russian oil executive Ravil Maganov has died after falling from a hospital window in Moscow. Maganov was the chair of Lukoil, Russia’s largest private oil company, which had criticised the war in Ukraine.

A mysterious death

Lukoil said Maganov had 'passed away following a severe illness', as reported by The Guardian. However,the Interfax news agency wrote on Thursday, citing a source:

Fell from a window at Central clinical hospital. He died from injuries sustained.

Lukoil did not disclose what Maganov was being treated for, however Russian state media agencies reported that—citing an unnamed source—Maganov was admitted to the hospital with a heart condition and was taking antidepressants.

Accident, suicide, or foul play?

It is unclear whether his death was an accident, a suicide, or caused by foul play. Baza—a Russian news site with close links to the police—claimed he may have slipped from a balcony while smoking and that CCTV footage was unavailable as cameras had been switched off for repairs.

However, Russian-language online newspaper Lenta.ru reported that police believe Maganov died by suicide, as per Newsweek. Similarly, the state-run news agency Tass cited a source in Russia’s security services on Thursday 1 September who described Maganov’s death as a 'suicide'.

Not the first time

However, it's not the first time a prominent Russian business person has died under mysterious circumstances. According to Newsweek, several others have also died after falling from windows. In fact, Maganov is the eighth Russian energy executive to have died since January, as reported by CNBC.

Lukoil is one of the few Russian energy companies to criticise the war in Ukraine. Just one week after Russia invaded the country, the Lukoil board said:

Calling for the soonest termination of the armed conflict, we express our sincere empathy for all victims who are affected by this tragedy. We strongly support a lasting ceasefire and a settlement of problems through serious negotiations and diplomacy.

According to The Guardian, Maganov died on the same day Vladimir Putin visited the hospital to pay his respects to Mikhail Gorbachev—the last leader of the Soviet Union—whopassed away on Tuesday 30 August.

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