Support The Moscow Times!

Hired Assassins Slay Official

A top state property official was beaten to death by hired assassins after refusing to sign suspicious documents, Itar-Tass reported Friday.


Vladimir Mikhailenko, 47, the chairman of the Karelian state property committee, died in hospital in Petrozavodsk, 700 kilometers north of Moscow.


"It was a hired killing," the agency said. "His wallet was not taken."


In another incident, Moscow police spokesman Alexander Cherednykov said Gennady Solovyev, 56, of the Supreme Court, had been attacked outside his home on Ulitsa Zhukovskogo, central Moscow, at 9 P.M. on Tuesday.


"He received several serious knife wounds," Cherednykov said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more