SHAKHTY, Russia – The body of Russian war journalist Alexander Rybin, 39, was found by a roadside near the city of Shakhty in the Rostov region of Russia. Rybin had recently visited Mariupol, a city in Ukraine captured by Russian forces in the 2022 invasion.
Rybin, who had expressed intent to expose corrupt activities in the occupied Ukrainian city, was discovered deceased following his critical on-air report on the slow progress of rebuilding the war-torn Mariupol. Prior to his death, Rybin had also raised concerns about the influx of immigrants and hefty amounts of money being funneled into the city from Russia.
Mariupol, home to over 400,000 residents, was extensively devastated by Russian forces during the invasion. Despite being fully captured by Moscow’s forces, the city remains in ruins, with a significantly reduced population estimated at around 100,000 people, as described by the Red Cross.
Officially, Rybin’s cause of death was attributed to ‘cardiomyopathy’ based on an autopsy, according to Russian state media. However, his death comes in the wake of other mysterious fatalities among Russian media figures, raising concerns about the crackdown on dissenting voices and criticism of the government.
The death of Alexander Rybin joins a string of other unexplained deaths, including those of Zoya Konovalova, editor of Russian state TV company Kuban, and Ilya Kyva, a former party leader in the Kyiv parliament. The circumstances surrounding these deaths continue to evoke suspicion and underscore concerns about the safety of media professionals in Russia.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Rostov Region stated that while no evidence of criminal intent was found at the scene of Rybin’s death, a forensic evaluation would be conducted to determine the official cause of death. The series of mysterious media-related deaths in Russia raises serious questions about the safety and freedom of journalists and media professionals in the country.