Top Putin official, 58, plunges 160ft to her death in mysterious fall

A top defense official in Russia has been found dead after plunging from a high window in a tower block, in the latest mysterious death of a high-ranking official. Marina Yankina (pictured), 58, was discovered by a passerby at the entrance of a house on Zamshina Street in St Petersburg. She is believed to have fallen 160ft to her death. She was a key figure in the funding of Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine. Yankina was head of the financial support department of the Ministry of Defence for the Western Military District which is closely involved in the dictator’s invasion. The Russian Investigative Committee and the press service of the Western Military District ‘Fontanka’ both confirmed her death, and are probing her mystery fall.

She is the latest of many Russians to have plunged to their deaths during Putin’s long rule. Just last week, Major General Vladimir Makarov — a Russian general who was recently fired by Putin — was found dead in a suspected [self-inflicted death]. Before joining the Western Military region, Yankina worked in the Federal Tax Service, and also served as Deputy Chairman of the Property Relations Committee of St. Petersburg. She is suspected to have taken her own life, according to reports, but this is often stated in such cases before any investigation is carried out, or the facts are known. 

The woman is believed to have been at the center of efforts to boost funding for the war unleashed by Putin almost one year ago, which has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and a series of military disasters for Putin. Initial reports in Russia were conflicted over whether she either lived or worked in the St Petersburg building. Her personal belongings were found on the 16th floor, and it is believed she fell from there. She was friendly with senior officials in Leningrad region, near St Petersburg, Putin’s birthplace. The dead war official was reported to be close to Mikhail Mokretsov, former Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Minister of Defence. He is a Russian businessman and state official who served as Director of the Federal Taxation Service from 2007 and 2010, later a senior official in St Petersburg.

Media outlet Mash on Moika, with links to law enforcement, carried a claim that Marina Yankina (pictured) had called her ex-husband and told him she intended to take her own life. She was reported to have fallen from a balcony. ‘Shortly before the fall, the deceased employee of the financial sector of the Western Military District called her ex-husband,’ said the outlet. ‘She told him about what she was going to do and where she would leave things — and also asked to call the police. A few minutes after the call, she was found dead. According to our information, the husband lived in the block from the balcony of which the fall occurred. The motives continue to be clarified — according to the latest data, the woman had health problems.’

However there was no independent confirmation of this version of her death. ‘Her career had developed rapidly,’ stated the outlet. ‘In five years, a woman rose from an ordinary employee to the head of the entire department.’  Meanwhile, the death of the employee was officially confirmed by the press service of the Western Military District. Yankina (pictured) is not the first death of a high-profile Russian to raise eyebrows, with dozens of Russian businessmen being found dead since the start of 2022 in unexplained circumstances.

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page here and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.