Vladimir Putin’s former chief space engineer – accused of embezzlement – has died on the age of 74, the fourth person in a Russian president’s orbit to die in per week.
Vladimir Nesterov was the former general director of the State Center for Space Research and Production named after Khrunichev and led the event of the Russian Angara rocket.
The Russian state news agency Tass reported the death of Nesterov on Wednesday, citing information confirmed by the press service of the Khrunichev Center.
The cause and manner of Nesterov’s death weren’t disclosed
Nesterov resigned as head of the rocket manufacturer in August 2012 after two satellites exploded in the course of the failed launch of a Russian Proton-M rocket, but continued to work on Angara development as chief engineer.
In 2014, after the successful launch of the Angara rocket, Nesterov left the agency. Around the identical time, he was accused of fraud and embezzlement on a big scale.
In November 2020, Nesterov was accused of embezzlement of over $72 million from the state.
Based on the investigation, in 2006, a yr after taking on as head of the Khrunichev Center, Nesterov allowed the American company Space Transport Inc. to sell her shares in Russia, which his agency then bought at a better price.
On the time of Nesterov’s death, the case was still pending through the courts.
The rocket scientist’s demise got here just days after Alexander Buzakov, head of Russia’s Admiralty Shipyard specializing in constructing non-nuclear submarines, died suddenly on the age of 65.
The Telegram channel “Edited” reported that Buzakov was healthy the day before.
On Christmas Day, General Alexei Maslov, commander of the Russian ground forces in 2004-2008, died suddenly in a military hospital. He was 69 years old.
The Telegram channel reported that before his death, “nothing was heard about Maslov’s health problems.”
After leaving the military, Maslov worked as a representative of the Uralvagonzavod tank manufacturer, whom Putin was scheduled to go to on Christmas Eve. He canceled the trip on the last minute without giving any explanation.
On Sunday, Russian sausage magnate and politician Pavel Antov died after falling from a luxury hotel in Rayagada, India, where he was celebrating his 66th birthday.
Three days earlier, Antov’s friend Vladimir Bidenov had died in the identical hotel after being found unconscious in his room affected by empty wine bottles.
Police Superintendent Vivekananda Sharma said Bidenov suffered a stroke and his buddy “was depressed after his death and he also died” reported the BBC.
In July, Antov, who in line with Forbes made about $156 million a yr from his sausage-making business, criticized Russia’s missile attacks on Kyiv, calling them acts of “terror.”
He later apologized, claiming the message had been sent by another person and stressing that he supported the president and “shared his goals” for the invasion.
This yr, many Russian tycoons and other people related to Putin have died in mysterious circumstances.