Mystery as Top Putin Propagandist Found Dead After Suspected 'Poisoning'

Zoya Konovalova, the head of one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's state TV channels, has been found dead after a suspected poisoning incident, officials said.

Konovalova, 48, editor-in-chief of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Kuban, was found alongside the body of her ex-husband, 52, at a home in the Krasnodar region on January 5.

It is the latest in a series of mysterious deaths involving prominent Russian figures since Putin's forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

"The head of the Internet group of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Kuban Zoya Konovalova has died. Our colleague was 48 years old," the TV channel said in a statement.

No visible injuries were found on the bodies of Konovalova and her ex-husband, Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.

"The cause of death is said to be poisoning," the TV channel said, adding that she is survived by a 15-year-old daughter and son.

Konovalova was born in Murmansk in northwestern Russia, and worked in the capital, Moscow, before moving to the Krasnodar Territory in 2003. For the past year, Konovalova had been leading the digital editorial office of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Kuban, local media reported.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

An investigation has been launched by the Investigative Committee's Krasnodar department.

The news comes after another Russian journalist, Alexander Rybin, was found dead in Russia's Rostov region, which borders Ukraine, local media reported on Sunday.

Rybin's body was found near a highway not far from the city of Shakhty, his friend and mother said. The cause of his death is unclear.

And last month, Anna Tsareva, 35, the deputy editor-in-chief of Komsomolskaya Pravda, was found dead in her apartment in Moscow, the publication said. According to the newspaper, she had a lung infection and a fever days before she was found dead.

"Anya never complained about her health. Recently, in an apologetic voice, she explained that she had a cough and a temperature that had suddenly jumped to 39, but that everything would get better soon," Komsomolskaya Pravda said in a statement on December 13.

"Three days ago, Anya came down with a fever again. The last phrase that her friend and work colleague at KP heard from her was: 'I took my medicine, I'm going to bed.'"

The outlet added: "The next day, December 10, Anna stopped responding to messages. Concerned colleagues and parents immediately sensed that things were bad. Anya was found in bed...".

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Update 1/8/24, 5:58 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.