Another Russian found dead in Odisha, third in fortnight

A citizen of Russia was found dead on a cargo ship anchored at Paradip Port in Odisha on Tuesday. Meanwhile, an investigation is under way into the death of two other nationals of the former Soviet Union nation in the state last month.

The latest incident took place a day after the National Human Rights Commission asked the Superintendent of Police of Rayagada in Odisha to send a report on the death of Russian nationals Vladimir Bidenov, 61, and Pavel Antov, 65, at a hotel in the district on December 22 and 24 last.

Milyakov Sergey, 51, was found dead early in the morning at his cabin on the cargo ship, which had anchored at Paradip Port on its way to Mumbai from Chittagong Port in Bangladesh. He was the chief engineer of the ship.

Read | Head of major Russian shipyard which built subs for India dies suddenly, same day Putin-critic Antov died in Odisha

“This is an unfortunate incident. We received a message from the master of the vessel at 3 a.m. in the morning that the Russian Chief Engineer had died. The shipping agent is doing all the formalities,” P L Haranadh, the chairman of Paradip Port Authority, told journalists.

The local police initiated an investigation into the incident.

The Crime Investigation Department of the Odisha Police has already been investigating the death of two other Russians at a hotel in Rayagada in the State.

Read | Russians’ deaths must be probed

Antov, a millionaire, died after falling from the third floor of a hotel on December 25. His friend Bidenov had died in the same hotel on December 22.

Antov was also a member of the Legislative Assembly of Vladimir Oblast near Moscow. He had a few months back posted and then quickly withdrew a message criticizing his country’s war against Ukraine. Russia’s Admiralty Shipyards, which built most of the Indian Navy submarines, also announced the sudden death of its Director General Alexander Buzakov at Saint Petersburg on December 24.

Buzakov and Antov were just the latest addition to the long list of Russia’s business leaders, who died in the past few months since the former Soviet Union nation launched its war against Ukraine.