MOSCOW, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Ravil Maganov, the chairman of Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil (LKOH.MM), died on Thursday after falling from a hospital window in Moscow, two sources conversant in the state of affairs stated, turning into the most recent in a sequence of businessmen to fulfill with sudden unexplained deaths.

The sources confirmed stories by a number of Russian media that the 67-year-old had plunged to his loss of life, however the circumstances surrounding his fall have been unclear.

Two individuals who knew Maganov effectively advised Reuters they believed it was extremely unlikely he had dedicated suicide.

One other supply near the corporate stated there was a perception inside Lukoil administration that he had killed himself, however he had not seen proof or paperwork to assist that.

Requested by Reuters in the event that they have been investigating the loss of life as suspicious, Moscow police referred the query to the state’s Investigative Committee. The Committee didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Lukoil stated in a press release that Maganov had “handed away following a severe sickness”.

“Lukoil’s many hundreds of staff mourn deeply for this grievous loss and specific their honest condolences to Ravil Maganov’s household,” it stated.

A number of different senior executives with ties to Russia’s vitality business have died out of the blue in unclear circumstances prior to now few months.

The day after Russia despatched its forces into Ukraine in February, a Gazprom govt, Alexander Tyulakov, was discovered useless in his storage close to St Petersburg, Russian media reported.

In April, Sergei Protosenya, a former prime supervisor of Russia’s largest liquefied pure fuel producer Novatek (NVTK.MM), was discovered useless together with his spouse and daughter at a villa in Spain. Catalan regional police, investigating the case, have stated they imagine he killed them after which took his personal life.

In Could, Russian media reported a former Lukoil supervisor, Alexander Subbotin, was discovered useless within the basement of a home outdoors Moscow.

The identical month, Russian media stated that Vladislav Avayev, an ex-vice president of Gazprombank, was discovered useless in a Moscow condo, additionally with the our bodies of his spouse and daughter.

Maganov had labored in Lukoil since 1993, shortly after the corporate’s inception, and had overseen its refining, manufacturing and exploration, turning into chairman in 2020. His brother Nail is the pinnacle of mid-sized Russian oil producer Tatneft (TATN.MM).

Unusually amongst Russian firms, Lukoil took a stand over Moscow’s intervention in Ukraine. In a March three assertion, the corporate’s board of administrators expressed its concern over the “tragic occasions” in Ukraine and known as for the “soonest doable finish to armed battle” by way of negotiations.

Maganov was an in depth affiliate of one among Lukoil’s founders, Vagit Alekperov, and steadily took half in conferences of Russian oil producers and the vitality ministry to resolve on joint actions as a part of the OPEC+ group of main international oil producers.

Alekperov, a former Soviet deputy oil minister, resigned as president of Lukoil in April, per week after Britain imposed an asset freeze and journey ban on him as a part of sanctions over Russia’s army actions in Ukraine. learn extra

Reporting by Reuters; writing by Mark Trevelyan, enhancing by Alexandra Hudson

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