Putin ‘purge’ fears after FOUR ‘suspicious suicides’ of top Russian gas executives ‘linked to Kremlin inner circle’

VLADIMIR PUTIN may be ‘purging’ Russia of his foes after four recent ‘suicides’ of gas industry executives have been ‘linked’ to the tyrants circle. The suicides have all been labelled “suspicious” by a former FSB colonel on the Telegram messaging channel. East2WestTop manager of Gazprom Leonid Shulman, 60, was found dead in his mansion on January 29, 2022.[/caption] Russian gas tycoon Sergei Protosenya, his wife Natalya, 53, and teenage daughter Maria were found dead in their Spanish mansion, in Lloret de MarEast2West East2WestFormer Kremlin official and Gazprombank vice-president Vladislav Avayev was found dead by his daughter Anastasia, 26, amid suspicions he killed his ‘pregnant’ wife Yelena and daughter Maria, 13, before taking his own life in Moscow[/caption] Writing on Mozhem Obyasnit (We Can Explain) Gennady Gudkov claimed there were similarities in the passing of top managers and their families from senior gas companies. He claimed: “Don’t let the ‘rats’ escape, they might talk. “If we already understand that the regime is engaged in the elimination of its opponents and enemies, then why will they not deal with those who are considered traitors who have fled the system. “Many cases of [suspicious deaths] are like settling scores.” READ MORE UKRAINE STORIES OUT IN THE COLD Monster Putin HUMILIATED himself in latest staged update - experts TINPOT ARMY Russia building ‘Mad Max’ vehicles with extra armour due to fear of UK missiles His comments follow the death of multimillionaire Sergey Protosenya, 55 – a former deputy chairman of Novotek, a company closely linked to the Kremlin – by hanging in Spain. This came after his wife Natalia, 53, and their teenage daughter, Maria, were stabbed to death with a knife – allegedly by Protosenya. While a few days earlier, wealthy Vladislav Avayev, 51, an ex-vice-president of Gazprombank and former Kremlin official, was found dead in his elite Moscow penthouse. He was found alongside his wife Yelena, 47, and daughter, Maria, 13. Most read in World News OUT IN THE COLD Monster Putin HUMILIATED himself in latest staged update - experts PAEDO MISS Female teacher molested boy, 14, after grooming him with naked vids & Snapchats DEPP MELTDOWN Moment Johnny Depp smashes up kitchen after downing 'mega pint' of red wine TREMBLING TYRANT Bloated Putin ‘grips table & taps foot’ fuelling Parkinson’s rumours COLD CASE Maddie suspect's lawyers deny he's charged after Portuguese cops make him suspect TANK GRAVEYARD Ukrainian spy drones find massive 'tank graveyard' ten miles inside Russia In both cases, there are suspicions that the deaths may have been staged as suicides, although detectives are still investigating.  The two macabre incidents “are united by the former places of work of the victims – both are connected with Putin’s inner circle,” according to Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit’ – which translates to We Can Explain. But there are also two other deaths of prominent gas industry executives this year. On February 25, the day after the Ukraine war started, the body of Alexander Tyulakov, 61, a senior Gazprom financial and security official at deputy general director level, was discovered by his lover. His neck was in a noose in his £500,000 home.  But reports say he had been badly beaten shortly before he “took his own life”, leading to speculation he was under intense pressure. In the same elite Leninsky gated housing development in Leningrad region only three weeks earlier, Leonid Shulman, 60, head of transport at Gazprom Invest, was found dead. He was discovered with multiple stab wounds in a pool of blood on his bathroom floor. A note was found, the contents of which have not been disclosed, and the Russian Investigative Committee reportedly refused to discuss the deaths.  A knife was found on the bathtub, seemingly out of reach.  On the latest death in Spain, a source close to Sergei Protasenya says that he had a “perfect family”, says a Moscow report. The source does not believe that he killed his family, said a Telegram channel Toad and Viper, covering corruption. He died amid a legal battle over his shares in a Cyprus company, it was revealed.  Under strange and similar circumstances, the families of managers of two key private companies managing the money of Putin’s entourage died Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit This comes amid a shake-up in ownership in Russian business – where hidden and surrogate owners are common – triggered by Western sanctions which have frozen many fortunes.  Engineer and economist Protosenya had been chief accountant of Novatek company, the largest independent producer of natural gas in Russia, between 2002 and 2014, and later vice president. He had a fortune of $440 million, it is claimed.  Novatek is co-owned by close Putin friend Gennady Timchenko and the privileged giant had been recently excluded from the Kremlin leader’s edict to trade energy only in rubles. The company is also closely linked to Pyotr Kolbin, a Putin childhood friend, allegedly a “shadow holder of Putin’s wealth”. Avayev’s former employer Gazprombank is also seen as close to Putin circle – allegedly used by the president and his relatives and cronies.  Gazprombank was chosen by Putin as authorised to receive Western payments for gas in rubles.  Alayev – who mysteriously owned a KGB-FSB gun found after the shooting – evidently had a joint venture business on leaving Gazprombank with a daughter of a high level executive of Rostec, another  Putin favourite. UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES “So, under strange and similar circumstances, the families of managers of two key private companies managing the money of Putin’s entourage died,” stated Mozhem Obyasnit. The pro-Kremlin media has been briefed that Alayev had “tortured his wife for several hours before killing her – beating and shooting her in the legs and arms” -believed she was pregnant by another man.  He suspected her of infidelity with his driver who had  “fled to Moldova”, and tried to make her confess by shooting her in her limbs before killing her, it is claimed. “The last straw was the news of her pregnancy,” said a report by Mash.  However other sources have denied she was pregnant and a rage of jealousy does not explain why he killed their daughter.  While there were differences between the couple, these were being resolved in court, it is said.  Police in Spain say the prime hypothesis is that Protosenya killed his wife and daughter with an axe before taking his own life at a luxury villa in Catalan resort town of Lloret de Mar. But the case remains “open” with some elements that did not suggest a domestic violence case. Read More on The Sun KILLER MUM Vile mum GUILTY of killing son, 7, left to die in garden while 'gasping for air' JEEPERS CREEPERS We’ve had to rebuild our wall as our neighbour’s vines are TAKING OVER Similarly, Russian detectives are keeping open other options that double murder and suicide in the Avayev case.  Details of the other two cases are sketchy with Gazprom’s security service playing a leading role in investigating “suicides” in an upmarket residential complex for company high fliers. East2West East2West East2West