Vitaly Robertus, Russian oil giant tycoon found dead in office, fourth since Ukraine war

Vitaly Robertus, Vice President of Russia’s oil and gas giant Lukoil, has allegedly died by suicide in his office. Lukoil said Robertus died on March 12, Euro News reported.

“Vitaly Robertus, the Deputy CEO of Russia’s largest oil company Lukoil has suddenly died. He was 53 years old,” Ukrainian-American economist, Roman Sheremeta, tweeted, without giving a reason for his death.

“Any guesses regarding the cause of death?”, he posted on X.

According to some local media reports, Robertus, just before his death, complained of headaches and asked for medication before going to his office.

He was later found hanging in the room.

“He didn’t leave for several hours and didn’t answer his phone. The employees decided to go into his office and found his body. The top manager died by suicide of asphyxia. He had worked at the company for about 30 years,” a Telergram user posted on Robertus’s death.

Robertus is the fourth Lukoil manager and the latest in a long list of tycoons and billionaires to suddenly die under mysterious circumstances since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, Euro News reported.

Earlier in May 2022, Lukoil’s top manager, 43-year-old Alexander Subbotin, was found dead in the basement of a house in Mytishchi town. He allegedly died of a drug-induced heart attack.

Later, in September 2022, Lukoil’s former chairman, 67-year-old Ravil Maganov, died after falling from a window at Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital.

In late October 2023, Vladimir Nekrasov, chairman of Lukoil’s board, died of what the company said was heart failure at the age of 66.