Another Russian Exec Takes a Fall

An executive helping to oversee development in Russia's Far East has become at least the ninth Russian businessman to be found dead since the start of this year. Ivan Pechorin, an aviation director with the Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic (KRDV), fell from his private yacht near Russky Island in the Sea of Japan on Saturday, days after attending an economic forum in nearby Vladivostok, a major center of Russia's Far East, per Newsweek and the Daily Beast. Also in attendance at the forum was President Vladimir Putin, who gave the keynote speech, per Insider. Pechorin was considered an ally of Putin, who, according to the Mirror, personally selected him for his role.

The corporation, which the Russian government has instructed to develop energy and mining resources in the Far East and Arctic, said it learned of "the tragic death of our colleague" on Monday, per CNN. That same day, Pechorin's body washed ashore about 100 miles from Vladivostok amid a search, per Insider. The 39-year-old had fallen from his yacht, which was reportedly traveling at full speed near Russky Island (not to be confused with an island of the same name in the northern Kara Sea) two days earlier, according to local media reports. One Russian news outlet, Baza, has claimed Pechorin and others aboard the boat were intoxicated at the time, the Daily Beast reports.

He's the second KRDV executive to die unexpectedly this year. In February, the corporation's director, Igor Nosov, died of what Russian media described as a stroke. He was 43. Numerous other individuals tied to Russia's energy sector have died by suicide or under mysterious circumstances since the start of this year, including Alexander Subbotin, Sergey Protosenya, Vladislav Avayev, and Yuri Baranov. Earlier this month, Ravil Maganov, chair of the board of directors of Russian oil company Lukoil, died in a fall from a hospital window. KRDV said the death of Pechorin, in charge of aviation accessibility in the Far East, was an "irreparable loss." (More Russia stories.)