On Cyprus, the body of one of Russia’s leading top managers, former CEO of Uralkali Vladislav Baumgertner, was found in the cliffs.

Relatives of the businessman strongly denied media reports claiming he was fond of rock climbing. In their opinion, the cause of death could be criminal, although the police have so far refrained from commenting.

Baumgertner mysteriously disappeared on January 7, and searches—even using drones—had been unsuccessful. The day before yesterday, his relatives hired professional climbers, who began work on Monday, and by Wednesday, they achieved results. The body was found in the cliffs near Avdimu Beach.

Police were immediately called to the scene; the body was retrieved and taken to the morgue. The body was severely mutilated and decomposed, so the police have not yet officially identified the deceased as Baumgertner. DNA testing will be conducted, and experts will also determine the cause of death. Relatives claim that Baumgertner was never interested in mountaineering (as some media reported), although they do not rule out that the police might find it convenient to present the case as an accident—walking in a scenic place and accidentally falling. The family believes the death could have been of a criminal nature.

On January 7, Baumgertner left his home in Limassol for the office, attending a certain meeting. He took only his work phone, leaving his personal phone at home. There was nothing to suggest he intended to engage in sports or tourism. His work phone was still active on January 8, after which it stopped functioning. The building where his office is located is not equipped with surveillance cameras, so his relatives tracked his approximate route using cameras installed on neighboring cottages.

The police determined that Baumgertner’s phone last signaled in the area of the village of Pissouri. Searches by police, rescuers, and volunteers were concentrated there but were unsuccessful. Since all evidence pointed to his disappearance in this area and ordinary specialists could not descend into the rock crevices, the relatives hired professional climbers.

Baumgertner had a long-standing conflict with the chairman of the board of GC “Delo,” Sergey Shishkarev. Previously, Shishkarev owned a significant stake in the stevedoring company Global Ports, whose CEO Baumgertner became after leaving Uralkali. According to sources, their separation was very bitter—Shishkarev did not pay Baumgertner a large sum, and there was a real “war” between them involving influential acquaintances. Recently, Shishkarev had even detained another former top manager of his over threats.

One of Baumgertner’s associates was Senator Suleiman Kerimov. When Kerimov previously owned Uralkali, Baumgertner headed the company. He even spent time in a Belarusian detention center due to Kerimov’s conflict with the Belarusian authorities. Following the conflict, Kerimov sold Uralkali and did not share proceeds with the undisclosed beneficiary Ramzan Kadyrov. In 2024, a dispute erupted between them over control of Wildberries, and Kadyrov even declared “blood vengeance” on Kerimov. Recently, Baumgertner conducted business with a former aide to the Minister of Regional Development of Russia and ex-Minister of the Government of Perm Krai, Alexey Dozortsev. They were partners in the company HeadOffice.

Dozortsev involved the former head of the anti-corruption unit of the Russian Federal Tax Service, Sergey Vasilenko, as well as former Investigative Committee investigator and prosecutor employee Vsevolod Pavlov. “Alexey knows absolutely everything about Vladislav’s assets and personal affairs. After the disappearance, he behaved very strangely, which suggests possible involvement in the incident,” a source previously stated.