A top Russian oil executive was killed after falling from a window in a Moscow tower block. His demise is just the latest in a string of high-profile and unexplained deaths among senior executives in Russia’s energy sector.
Andrey Badalov, 62, was confirmed dead after falling from his penthouse on Rublyovskoye Highway. He was the vice-president of Transneft – Russia’s state oil pipeline operator and the largest such company in the world. The company transports 82% of the oil produced in the country through its pipelines.
The company’s president is Nikolai Tokarev, who was appointed to his position in 2007 and whose tenure has recently been extended by another five years until 2030.
The 74-year-old is a former KGB spy who served alongside Vladimir Putin in Dresden, East Germany in the 1980s.
He and his family have also amassed a business and real estate empire that extends throughout Russia and into Europe.
Transneft confirmed Badalov’s death but did not comment on the circumstances.
The company said his work came during a “difficult and stressful period” marked by Western sanctions.
He had overseen Transneft’s digital transformation since his appointment as vice president in July 2021.
A police source told the Russian Tass news agency that they did not suspect foul play was involved the executive’s death.
“The preliminary cause of death is suicide,” the source said, adding that a preliminary investigation was underway.
Russia has been plagued by a number of “suicides” among top officials working in the energy sector.
Three Gazprom executives were found dead in 2022 – each victim having reportedly left behind a suicide note to explain their tragic deaths.
Leonid Shulman, head of the transport service of Gazprom Invest, was found dead at the age of 60.
His death was followed soon after by that of 61-year-old Alexander Tyulyakov, a top Gazprom manager.
Then in April 2022, the former vice president of Gazprombank Vladislav Avaev was discovered dead along with his wife and small daughter.