A journalist who targeted Russian officials and promised to publish details of “huge corruption” was found dead near a roadside over the weekend, but the circumstances of his death remain shrouded in mystery.
“It is almost impossible to determine whether Mr. Raibin's death was related to foul play or whether he died of heart disease, as some Russian media have claimed,” said Strategic Military Intelligence Analyst. and author of “Putin's Playbook,” Rebecca Koffler told Fox News. Digital.
Alexander Rybin, 39, was found near a highway about 130 miles outside the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, where he was reporting on the Russian invasion.
The official cause of death was determined by an autopsy to be “cardiomyopathy,” The Sun newspaper reported, citing Russian state media.
Some media outlets have described Raibin as a pro-Kremlin journalist, but in the last weeks of his life he had become highly critical of regional officials.
He blamed widespread corruption for the slow rebuilding of the city and Donetsk region.
In his last report, Raibin reported that Mariupol had “huge amounts of money” and “huge opportunities for corruption.”
According to a translation by The Sun newspaper, Mr. Raibin said his “personal impression” — he was not trying to emphasize any kind of condemnation — was that “Russian troops were under extensive occupation. “There is huge corruption going on in Mariupol.” The fight will take place in the spring of 2022. ”
“In my opinion, 2023 will not be any easier for the residents of Mariupol than what was happening in 2022, unfortunately,” he said, this time broadcast on a left-wing online platform, where he spoke about corruption in more detail. I promised to tell you. According to the Times of India, it was a love call.
Koffler noted that “a large number of Russian journalists” have died “under mysterious circumstances” after directly criticizing the Russian regime and President Vladimir Putin.
“What we know for a fact is that–“Wet Affair,” a term used for targeted assassinations, is a Russian intelligence trade used to eliminate opponents of the regime, Koffler explained. “We also know that these operatives are highly skilled at making their victims' deaths appear natural.”
“Whether Raibin was the victim of a targeted assassination will probably remain a mystery,” she argued.
Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, has linked Rybin's death to corruption allegations against him and attempted to link him to Russian officials in the city.
Raibin's death follows the mysterious death of Kuban propaganda channel editor-in-chief Zoya Konovalova, who was found dead of suspected poisoning.
News reports about Mr. Leibin's death highlighted the fact that his bank cards and valuables were left behind after his death.
Russia's Rostov Regional Investigative Committee said there were no signs of crime in the death.
