Speak Against Him, Die Silently... The World Watched as Putin’s Critics Fell One by One!

International News: Just hours after being sacked, Russia’s former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was found dead in a bush near his car. Gunshot wounds were visible, yet investigators labelled it a “suicide.” The coincidence is chilling. Being fired and then found dead the same day triggered global suspicion. His dismissal reasons were undisclosed. But in Russia, political fallout and physical elimination often go hand in hand. The case mirrors a pattern that Kremlin critics fear—speak out, and disappear. The investigation lacks transparency, raising fears that it will soon fade into silence, like many before it.

Navalny’s Final Hour

Alexei Navalny died in a Siberian prison in February 2024. Russia claimed he suffered a seizure, but no independent autopsy was allowed. Navalny had earlier survived a Novichok poisoning in 2020, clearly marked for elimination. His death devastated Russia’s already shrinking opposition space. His wife blamed Putin directly. Navalny was more than a critic—he was a global symbol of dissent. The fact that his body remains under state control adds to the grim mystery. Western powers demanded answers but got silence. His story now serves as a warning to all who resist.

Critics Fall From Windows

Ravil Maganov, chair of Russia’s second-largest oil company, criticized the Ukraine war—and days later, fell from a hospital window. No CCTV. No witnesses. Another “suicide,” Russia claimed. He wasn't alone. Several other executives linked to Gazprom and Lukoil have died in similarly bizarre incidents. These deaths usually occur after public disagreement with Kremlin policies. Strangely, the sites of these fatalities are often CCTV blind. Maganov’s case reignited debates about “defenestration diplomacy”—the silent message of dissent’s cost. In Putin’s Russia, speaking up can mean falling down—literally.

Deaths with No Details

Senior agricultural official Daniil Khulak died inside his Moscow apartment in 2022. He was part of Russia’s sensitive food supply chain during the Ukraine war. There was no statement from the government. No media coverage. Only independent journalists reported it. Speculations arose that he knew too much about supply corruption linked to wartime pressures. His death was shrouded in silence, fitting a broader trend. When state secrets turn deadly, the news often never sees daylight. In Russia’s elite circles, insider knowledge can come with an expiry date.

Overseas, But Not Out

Critic Nikolai Globenko was strangled in London in 2018. Initially deemed a natural death, a later autopsy revealed pressure marks. UK police declared it homicide. Yet, no suspect was ever charged. Globenko had repeatedly condemned Putin’s policies. His murder added to a grim trend of Kremlin dissenters dying abroad. The West sees these killings as “cross-border silencing.” Russia, meanwhile, denies involvement. But even exiled critics know—geography offers no immunity. What connects them all is the impunity. The message is clear: You may leave Russia, but Russia won’t leave you.

Poison in the Playground

Alexander Perepilichny, a Russian businessman turned whistleblower, collapsed while jogging in London in 2012. Initial autopsies showed no cause. Later tests found traces of a rare plant toxin—gelsemium. He had leaked financial files exposing money laundering linked to Putin allies. UK media called it a “silent kill.” Russia never acknowledged his role. Whistleblowers are often dismissed as traitors in Kremlin rhetoric. Perepilichny’s death reminded the world how quickly information can become fatal. In Putin’s shadow empire, truth doesn’t just hurt—it kills. His file leaks may have been his death sentence.

Patterns of Elimination Emerge

From UN diplomat Vitaly Churkin to oligarch Mikhail Lesin, the deaths follow a script. Sudden, unexplained, and often in silence. No CCTV, no postmortem transparency, and no suspects. Yet, each of them had one thing in common: access to inconvenient truths or open criticism of the Kremlin. It’s not about paranoia—it’s about patterns. In 13 years, nearly a dozen high-profile figures have died mysteriously. While Russia denies involvement, the pattern is impossible to ignore. The silence that follows each death is louder than any denial.