Two Russian State Duma deputies with the ruling United Russia party were reported dead on Sunday.
The death of 77-year-old Nikolay Bortsov, who served as a State Duma deputy since 2003, was announced by Igor Artamanov, the governor of the Lipetsk region. He died at his home Lebedyan.
On the same day, State Duma Deputy Dzhasharbek Uzdenov died at the age of 57 after a "serious and prolonged illness," Vladimir Vasilyev, head of the United Russia faction, said.
A number of prominent Russians have died in unexplained or unusual circumstances since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
No cause was given for Bortsov's death. He had previously been hit by sanctions from the United States and other Western countries in connection with Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Newsweek reached out to Russia's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
Bortsov was one of Russia's wealthiest government employees, with an estimated net worth of $550 million, according to the Latvia-based independent news outlet Meduza. He was included by Forbes in 2021 in a ranking of the country's 100 richest federal workers.
He was sentenced in absentia in Ukraine to 15 years in prison on March 21 alongside 19 other members of the Russian State Duma for voting to recognize Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.
The Security Service of Ukraine said those convicted were: Sergey Altukhov, Andrey Alshevsky, Olga Zanko, Andrey Anikeev, Grigory Anikeev, Valentina Artamonova, Otari Arshba, Alena Arshinova, Timofey Bazhenov, Zarif Baiguskarov, Nikolay Bortsov, Vadim Bulavinov, Dmitry Islamov, Mikhail Kuzmin, Denis Maidanov, Nikolai Pankov, Yuri Petrov, Olga Pilipenko, Valentina Pivnenko, and Dmitry Pogorely.
The head of Russia's Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin called the verdict illegal.
Uzdenov, 56, was a member of Russia's House Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.
"A hard day. Death snatched another comrade from our ranks. Jasharbek (Dzhasharbek) Borisovich Uzdenov, a deputy of the State Duma, the former Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic died after a severe and prolonged illness," Vasilyev said.
Vasilyev expressed his condolences to the relatives and friends of Uzdenov.
"Sensitive, attentive, strong-willed, always ready to help—this is how we will remember Jasharbek Borisovich. He fought for a long time, but, unfortunately, the disease turned out to be stronger. We will miss him very much," he said.
Uzdenov was elected to the State Duma on September 19, 2021. He came under U.S. and New Zealand sanctions after the war began.
At least 20 Russians have died in mysterious circumstances since the war began last February, including Ravil Maganov, the chairman of Lukoil, Yuri Voronov, the founder and general director of the Astra-Shipping transport and logistics company, Vladislav Avayev, a former Kremlin official and vice president of Gazprombank, and Major General Vladimir Makarov, an officer who oversaw the Kremlin's crackdown on anti-war protesters.
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About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
