MARIUPOL, Ukraine – The body of Alexander Rybin, a Russian war journalist, was found dead near Shakhty in Russia’s Rostov region. Rybin, 39, had recently visited Mariupol, a city in eastern Ukraine that was invaded by Russia in 2022. His death comes after he vowed to expose “gigantic corruption” in Mariupol, which was occupied by Russian forces in the early months of Putin’s invasion.
Rybin’s on-air report criticized the Putin regime for its slow effort in rebuilding the war-torn city, which the dictator sees as a holiday destination for Russians on the Azov Sea. He had planned to reveal more details in a live broadcast on an online outlet, but he never made it back to Moscow.
Mariupol, once home to more than 400,000 people, was severely damaged by Russia’s forces during the invasion. The city was finally captured by Moscow’s forces in May 2022, with thousands of casualties reported. Today, Mariupol is a shadow of its former self, with an estimated 100,000 residents living in its ruins, as described by the Red Cross.
Rybin’s cause of death was officially given as “cardiomyopathy” following an autopsy, according to Russian state media. However, his bank cards and valuables were not stolen. Prior to his death, Rybin had fought for pro-Putin forces in Luhansk between 2014 and 2015, but he had become disillusioned with the so-called “Russian Spring.”
Rybin’s death is the latest in a series of mysterious fatalities among Russian media figures, raising concerns about the Kremlin’s crackdown on dissenting voices. Other cases include the deaths of Zoya Konovalova, the chief editor of Russian state TV company Kuban, and Ilya Kyva, a former party leader in the Kyiv parliament.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Rostov Region stated that there were no signs of criminal activity in Rybin’s death, but an official cause of death has not yet been issued. These series of deaths have sparked inquiries and suspicions about the safety and freedom of the press in the region.