Russian Ministry of Education
Returning by plane from a trip to Cuba with his delegation of ministers, this minister of Vladimir Putin died under strange circumstances before arriving in Moscow.
RUSSIA – What happened to Pyotr Kucherenko? In the last few hours, the international press has covered the death of this senior official, who died on May 20 while returning from a business trip to Cuba.
Pyotr Kucherenko, appointed State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation in June 2021, would have suddenly fallen ill on this return flight to Moscow, British newspaper The Times reported on Wednesday, May 24, citing a statement dated Russian Ministry.
The plane he was on with his delegation was forced to make an emergency landing in the town of Mineralnye Vody (in south-eastern Russia), where first responders tried in vain to get to his aid.
“Pyotr Alexandrovich was a leader genuinely devoted to his work. “Everyone knew him as an open, kind and sincere person,” the Russian Ministry of Higher Education lamented on Telegram, without mentioning the circumstances surrounding the death of the man, who is married to Diana Gurtskaya, a Russian pop star.
According to the late politician’s family, his death could be linked to a heart condition. Citing information from state broadcaster Zvezda, CNN said an autopsy would be held on Wednesday.
risks to his safety
Yet this new death of a member of Russia’s elite is intriguing, especially as Russian journalist Roman Super assures on his Telegram account that he had a conversation with him at his office “a few days” before fleeing Russia shortly after the Russian invasion in Ukraine in February 2022.
According to this conversation between the two friends, Piotr Kucherenko feared for his life and had encouraged the journalist to flee Russia immediately. “Run away, you and your family. Go as fast as you can. You cannot imagine the level of brutality in our state. In a year you will not recognize Russia at all. If you leave, do the right thing,” Russia’s deputy minister reportedly told Roman Super.
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And this is not the only statement by this independent journalist attributed to Piotr Kucherenko. According to him, the member of Vladimir Putin’s government also said that it was impossible for him to flee Russia. “That’s not possible anymore. They’re taking away our passports,” he added, calling the Russian war in Ukraine a “fascist invasion.”
According to Roman Super, Piotr Kucherenko’s health is also rather worrying, since the deputy minister confided in him that he takes antidepressants and tranquilizers: “I drink handfuls of them.” And that doesn’t help much. I hardly sleep. I feel bad. We’re all being held hostage. Nobody can say anything. Otherwise we will be crushed like insects in an instant. »
Suspicious Deaths
As CNN points out, the Russian investigative newspaper IStories recently reported on “several governors, security force officials and members of the presidential administration” whose resignation requests were rejected by the Kremlin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the information to the American media as a “swindle”.
This new information comes at a time when a dozen unexplained or suspicious deaths have been occurring in the top secrets of Russia’s political and economic power for more than a year. The deaths were generally suicides or accidents, mostly affecting Russian oligarchs and businessmen linked to Russia’s two largest energy companies, Gazprom and Lukoil.
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