News
On Jan. 14, a man’s body was found in Cyprus in the area where Vladislav Baumgertner, the former CEO of Russian fertilizer giant Uralkali, went missing more than a week ago. Whether the body belongs to the Russian businessman will be determined by DNA testing following an autopsy carried out by an independent specialist from outside Cyprus, according to a report by local outlet Philenews.
The body was found Wednesday afternoon by a member of the public on Avdimou beach, an area under the jurisdiction of the British Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs). Because the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, their immediate identification was not possible. Police from Limassol’s criminal investigation department (CID) and the Sovereign Base Areas sealed off the site, treating it as a potential crime scene until forensic results clarify the circumstances of the as-of-yet unidentified man’s death.
A post-mortem examination was carried out at the British Bases morgue earlier today, with Philenews reporting that the autopsy began at around midday local time. Given the high-profile nature of the case and the condition of the remains, the SBA police appointed an independent forensic expert from abroad to conduct the examination.
One outlet, however, has already made a conclusion about the identity of the deceased. On Jan. 14, Russian online outlet Fontanka reported, citing sources involved in the search, that the body was indeed that of Vladislav Baumgertner.
According to the Russian journalists, the businessman went missing on Jan. 8, with Cypriot police reporting his disappearance three days later, on Jan. 11. The search began Jan. 10 near the village of Pissouri, where the businessman’s cellphone signal was last detected on a steep, rocky stretch of coast. Philenews reported that efforts were concentrated around Cape Aspro, where the signal was picked up.
“He was initially searched for in the mountains. Eventually, the former Uralkali CEO’s body was found in a gorge,” the report said. Fontanka said Baumgertner was an avid rock climber and that “this time, he allegedly decided to attempt another route.” According to the outlet, the police consider an accident to be the leading theory for the cause of death.
Philenews reported that investigators are set to collect DNA samples to compare with records for those of Baumgertner. Pathologists will also examine the body for signs of foul play or trauma, and Limassol police said “all possibilities remain open” — from an accident to a criminal act.
A death at the Russian embassy
On Jan. 8, the day after Baumgertner’s disappearance outside Limassol, a Russian Embassy employee was found dead in the country’s capital, Nicosia. The diplomatic mission later confirmed the death, identifying the man as “A. V. Panov.” Media outlets initially speculated, citing Cyprus’ diplomatic list, that the person was Alexei Panov, a third secretary at the Russian Embassy. The Telegram channel VChK-OGPU later reported that the deceased was in fact Anton Panov — a cryptographer from Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) working at the diplomatic mission.
Investigative journalists at the independent outlets Important Stories and Agentstvo were able to partially verify the claim based on leaks and open-source data.
“In the early 2000s, Panov worked at the Atlas Scientific and Technical Center. The entity is now part of the state defense conglomerate Rostec, but at the time of Panov’s employment it reported directly to the FSB.
The center develops secure mobile phones, hardware and software systems designed to detect cyberattacks, and cryptographic tools for the Russian state’s security services.
Leaked data indicate that in 2008 (at a time when Atlas was no longer formally subordinate to the FSB), Panov moved to the Russian Foreign Ministry. By no later than 2013, he held the position of ‘leading specialist,’” Important Stories wrote on Telegram.
Cypriot media reported that the embassy employee died by suicide. The cause of death was asphyxiation by hanging, local police told the Cyprus Mail. Police spokesman Vyronas Vyronos said in a later statement that the death was not the result of a criminal act, with an autopsy ruling out foul play. He added that the body would be handed over to the embassy for repatriation to Russia.
Details surrounding Panov’s death remain unclear. Russian diplomats did not allow Cypriot police to enter the embassy, instead handing over the body in the consular courtyard. The mission claimed the diplomat left a suicide note, which has not been made public or revealed to the Cypriot authorities, instead being sent to Moscow.
“Videogate”
Also on Jan. 8, a corruption scandal erupted in Cyprus after a covertly recorded video surfaced on social media. It showed senior officials discussing corruption schemes, including illegal campaign financing involving President Nikos Christodoulides and his associates, as well as the provision of assistance to Russian nationals seeking to circumvent EU sanctions. The video was published a day after Cyprus officially assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, triggering a political crisis now referred to domestically as “Videogate.”
The revelations led to the resignation of Charalambos Charalambous, the chief of staff to Christodoulides, who is seen in the video explaining how to gain access to the presidential palace in order to fast-track a €150 million energy investment. Notably, Charalambous is Christodoulides’ brother-in-law.
The Cypriot government has denied any wrongdoing, saying the release of the so-called “kompromat» video was a Kremlin response to Nicosia’s pro-Western shift. Officials have linked the timing to Cyprus taking over the rotating EU Council presidency and to a recent visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, arguing that Russia is using “hybrid tools” to depict the republic as an unreliable European partner.
On Jan. 9, the Associated Press described the Cypriot government’s reaction: “Cyprus said Friday it has fallen victim to a malicious disinformation attack painting the country’s leadership as corrupt that ‘bears all the hallmarks.’ of previous Russian campaigns against France, Germany and the U.S.” Experts cited by the Cyprus Mail have ruled out AI manipulation (while also hypothesizing about Turkish involvement).
Christodoulides said foreign governments and the European Union have played a key role in examining the video, and Cyprus has indeed sought help from specialized teams in the U.S., Israel, the UK, and France to determine the video’s origin. Authorities have also appointed an independent criminal investigator, former Supreme Court judge Andreas Paschalides, to examine all aspects of the alleged illegal recording involving Presidential Palace staff, including possible violations of lobbying laws.
It is still unclear whether the three incidents — the disappearance of Vladislav Baumgertner, the death of the cryptographer Anton Panov, and release of the video — are linked, despite all occurring within a span of roughly 24 hours.