Russian general who criticised Putin mysteriously dies, investigation underway

Vladimir Putin learnt how to get what he wanted from a very young age. His career as a KGB agent and then Prime Minister and President of Russia has hardened him into a vicious leader with zero tolerance for traitors. The head of the Wagner Group, who tried to stage a coup against Putin, reportedly died in a plane crash exactly two months later. In the weeks that followed, there was a lot of speculation surrounding this case.

Now, another Putin ally is dead, and the circumstances are very suspicious. What is less surprising: the fact that he had been caught in the past complaining about Putin’s regime. Here’s who this general is and what we know about his death.

Who is this dead general?

Lieutenant General Vladimir Sviridov was 68 years old when he died. He was a former commander of the 6th Air Force and Air Defense Forces Army. Back in 2007, he complained about pilots not receiving adequate training and accused Putin of running a ‘third-rate’ air force.

Unfortunately for him, he made these comments during an interview with Russian magazine Take Off so they were very much made public. He said:

A pilot must have about 100 hours of flight time per year for full combat readiness. However, this is not yet the case. The average flight time in the army is currently 25-30 hours.

We are forced to appoint not fully trained officers because there are no better ones.

The general’s mysterious death

According to local reports, Lieutenant General Vladimir Sviridov and his wife Tatyana, 72, had been dead for about a week before their bodies were discovered on 15 November.

Russian Telegram channel Baza stated that there were no signs of violence at the scene and no toxic substances were found on the bodies. Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the pair were discovered lying side by side in bed at home in Stavropol Krai's Andzhievsky village.

The case is reportedly under investigation, as the cause of death remains unknown.

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Sources used:

Newsweek: Russia's Former Top Air Defense Commander Dies Mysteriously

Kyiv Post: Former Russian Commander Who Criticized Putin Found Dead in Mysterious Circumstances