Widow of Russian killed in helicopter crash says he was involved in charity helping Ukrainians

The heartbroken widow of a Russian cryptocurrency tycoon who was killed in a helicopter crash near Monaco has today revealed he was involved in charities helping Ukrainians fleeing the war before he died.

Olga Taran said she was ‘devastated’ after her husband Vyacheslav Taran, 53, died in the tragic accident near the resort town of Villefranche-sur-Mer on Friday.

Olga, the founder of Hello Monaco media, categorically denied claims made in Ukrainian media that Vyacheslav had ties to Russian foreign intelligence, describing them as ‘an absolute and utter lie’.

The mother-of-three said that her husband – fondly known as Slava by his family – ‘always supported Ukraine’, with the Russian businessman setting up a charity for Ukrainian refugees in Montenegro who had fled their war-ravaged country.

Olga Taran said she was ‘devastated’ after her husband Vyacheslav Taran, 53, died in a helicopter crash near the resort town of Villefranche-sur-Mer on Friday

Olga said: 'It is painful to realise that I will never see my dear husband again and my children their daddy.' Pictured: Vyacheslav and Olga with their three children

Olga said: ‘It is painful to realise that I will never see my dear husband again and my children their daddy.’ Pictured: Vyacheslav and Olga with their three children

Paying tribute to Vyacheslav, Olga said: ‘We are devastated. We have lost our loving husband and a father of three children. 

‘It is painful to realise that I will never see my dear husband again and my children their daddy.’

She added that her family have still not received Vyacheslav’s body because detectives in France are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the helicopter crash. ‘Each day is full of pain,’ Olga said.

Since the crash that killed Vyacheslav happened in good, clear weather – and after another passenger reportedly cancelled last minute – mystery now surrounds the tycoon’s death.

Vyacheslav, the co-founder of trading and investment platform Libertex and Forex Club who has lived in Monaco for the past ten years, was flying from Lausanne in Switzerland with an experienced pilot in a single-engine H130 helicopter when it crashed at around 1pm on November 25.

A 35-year-old French pilot was also killed.

The deputy public prosecutor of Nice, who visited the scene, said the fault of a third party could not be ruled out. A formal investigation has been launched into the helicopter crash by the French authorities and Airbus, makers of the H130.

Another unidentified passenger had been due to join Vyacheslav on the flight, but they cancelled last minute, according to local media.

She added that her family have still not received Vyacheslav's body because detectives in France are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the helicopter crash. 'Each day is full of pain,' Olga said. Pictured: Rescue workers at the scene of the helicopter crash

She added that her family have still not received Vyacheslav’s body because detectives in France are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the helicopter crash. ‘Each day is full of pain,’ Olga said. Pictured: Rescue workers at the scene of the helicopter crash 

Entrepreneur Vyacheslav Taran, 53, died after the helicopter plunged near the resort town of Villefranche-sur-Mer after taking off from Lausanne in Switzerland

Entrepreneur Vyacheslav Taran, 53, died after the helicopter plunged near the resort town of Villefranche-sur-Mer after taking off from Lausanne in Switzerland

Earlier, Ukrainian news agency UNIAN claimed, without citing any evidence, that Vyacheslav was a ‘billionaire crypto businessman with likely ties to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service’. 

But Olga has since categorically denied these claims. ‘All of this is outrageous and manifests an absolute and utter lie,’ she said. 

‘My husband never had any connections to the Russian government or any political affiliations. He left Russia to pursue and focus on his business interests back in 2008.’

She added that, far from being a Russian spy, he supported Ukraine and ‘helped whenever he could’.

Olga said Vyacheslav supported the Ukrainian charitable foundation Change One Life, which has helped thousands of children in Ukraine find new parents since 2014. 

‘As he often told me, it was one of the most important things he did in his life,’ Olga said. 

When Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, Olga said her husband created the charitable organisation Pristaniste.me, which helps Ukrainian refugees in Montenegro who have fled the war. 

Olga (pictured) said Vyacheslav supported the Ukrainian charitable foundation Change One Life, which has helped thousands of children in Ukraine find new parents since 2014

Olga (pictured) said Vyacheslav supported the Ukrainian charitable foundation Change One Life, which has helped thousands of children in Ukraine find new parents since 2014

Speaking about the unfounded allegations made by Ukrainian news agency UNIAN that Vyacheslav had links to Russia, Olga said: ‘This attack is unfair to Vyacheslav who always actively supported Ukrainian people through his charity foundations, especially children who lost their parents.

‘Everyone who knows Viacheslav, including the entire Monaco community knows it to be an absolute lie.

‘I urge you, please, do not tarnish Slava’s good name. He was a good person.’ 

Viacheslav is the third cryptocurrency entrepreneur to die unexpectedly in the past few weeks.  

Tiantian Kullander, 30, died ‘in his sleep’ last week, while fellow crypto millionaire Nikolai Mushegian, 29, drowned on a Puerto Rico beach  after tweeting that he feared the CIA and Mossad were going to murder him. 

A number of Russian businessmen have also died in mysterious circumstances since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

Earlier this month, Viktor Cherkesov, 72, a close KGB spy and mentor of Vladimir Putin who was demoted after publicly criticising the Kremlin leader, died from an unexplained ‘serious disease’.

Recent deaths also include Ivan Pechorin, 39, director of the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation, who ‘fell overboard’ from his yacht in September. 

Pavel Pchelnikov, 52, a PR manager for the Russian Railways, was shot dead in his Moscow apartment the same month, and Alexander Tyulakov, 61, a senior Gazprom executive, was found hanged at his house, also in Moscow.

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