Another high-profile Russian, with connections to President Vladimir Putin, has died in mysterious or — let’s just say it—suspicious circumstances.
Marina Yankina (58), a high-ranking defense official, fell to her death from an apartment window on the 16th floor in St. Petersburg.
Reports of financial director of the Western military zone of RU ministry of defense Marina Yankina falling out of a window in Sankt Petersburg.
RU financiers are losing their battle vs open windows.#NaziRussia #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/DpxIzd8pxg
— olexander scherba🇺🇦 (@olex_scherba) February 16, 2023
According to the Daily Mail, Yankina was involved in financing Russia’s military operations.
As head of the Financial Support Department of the Ministry of Defence for Western Military District, Ms. Yankina was key to Vladimir Putin’s illegal war on Ukraine. This department is closely linked to the dictator’s invasion.
There are signs of fraud and embezzlement in relation to that financing, so Putin could face the consequences.
Yankina is the latest in a long line of suspicious suicides and untimely deaths of Russians. A bullet to the head was what killed Major General Vladimir Makarov, who had been fired by Putin earlier this month. What was the cause? It was “suspicious suicide”.
Makarov was responsible for eradicating opposition to Putin. It is not clear why he was fired.
🧵 #Russia: Major-General Vladimir Makarov, former deputy chief of the Interior Ministry’s Main Directorate for Countering Extremism was found dead with a gunshot to the head from a rifle in #Moscow. Kremlin reports it was ‘suicide.’ He was fired by Putin in January 2023. pic.twitter.com/vtJ0Irxe6C
— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) February 13, 2023
I wrote in September about the strange deaths and suicides of Russian oil oligarchs. Many of them were connected to Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy giant. Many more Putin detractors, oligarchs, and military personnel as well as media executives have been killed since then. A disturbing number of them “fall” from high-rise windows.
List of Russian oligarchs who have been found dead in mysterious circumstance since Jan, per Newsweek
✔️ Sergey Protosenya
✔️ Vladislav Avaev
✔️ Vasily Melnikov
✔️ Mikhail Watford
✔️ Alexander Tyulyakov
✔️ Leonid Shulmanhttps://t.co/amSoDp4xJM#StandWithUkraine️— Alex Raufoglu (@ralakbar) April 22, 2022
Although the Kremlin is too secretive to understand exactly what is happening, it is clear that something is. Many reports also mention infighting among Russia’s power brokers and growing dissatisfaction at Putin’s futile war with oligarchs, generals, and others.
Vlad could be simply whacking anyone he considers a threat, just like Joseph Stalin.
Perhaps he is simply frustrated by his Ukraine adventures and taking it out upon his subordinates.
Whatever the case, a cornered animal can be dangerous. Even Putun’s friend, the daughter of Putun, was caught up in the crossfire and lost her life in a car bombing.
These deaths are not all directly attributable to Putin. However, if I was a Vladimir friend or associate I would avoid windows on the second floor and watch my back.