A senior Russian military commander has died suddenly. Colonel-General Yuri Sadovenko was 56 years old. He died on Christmas Day, according to Russian state media.
The reports say he died from heart disease. No further details were given. There were no earlier reports that he was ill.
Sadovenko was a powerful figure. He served as a deputy defense minister. He was very close to former defense minister Sergei Shoigu. Sadovenko was seen as a trusted “gatekeeper” and a “keeper of secrets” in the ministry.
He was fired in May 2024. This happened during a major shake-up ordered by President Vladimir Putin. Shoigu was also removed from his post at that time.
Sadovenko was under Western sanctions. Britain and other countries had sanctioned him for his role.
His death adds to a long list of sudden deaths among Russia’s elite. Many officials, generals, and businessmen have died unexpectedly since early 2022.
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His personal life was also turbulent. His wife, Maria Kitaeva, left him for another deputy defense minister, Timur Ivanov. This caused a major scandal within the Russian high command.
A Wave of Unexplained Deaths
Sadovenko’s death is part of a grim pattern. Several other high-profile Russians have died recently.
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Last week, Lt-Col Stanislav Orlov, 44, died. He commanded a notorious battalion. There are suspicions he was killed by Russian special services in Crimea.
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Lt-Gen Fanil Sarvarov, 56, was killed this week. He died in a car bomb attack in Moscow blamed on Ukraine.
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Earlier this year, former MP and Olympic wrestler Buvaysar Saitiev, 49, fell from a window in Moscow.
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In July, Transport Minister Roman Starovoit, 53, was found dead hours after being fired. His death was called a suicide.
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The same day, another official, Andrey Korneichuk, 42, collapsed and died at his ministry.
Many energy bosses have also died suddenly. These include Lukoil executives Ravil Maganov, Vladimir Nekrasov, and Vitaly Robertus. Transneft vice-president Andrey Badalov also fell to his death.
Most recently, propagandist Kirill Vyshinsky, 58, died “suddenly.” He was a key figure at the Russia Today media network.
Dozens of powerful Russians have now died in falls, from sudden heart failure, or in violent attacks. The circumstances often remain unclear.