Top Russian Propagandist Kirill Vyshinsky Dies Suddenly in Moscow Amid String of Elite Deaths

Russian media report the death of propagandist Kirill Vyshinsky in Moscow

Kirill Vyshinsky, 58, a prominent Russian propagandist and executive director of the state-run Russia Today media empire, has died suddenly in Moscow. His death marks the latest in a growing list of unexplained or suspicious deaths among influential figures in Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

Vyshinsky was born in Dnipro, Ukraine, and became a key figure in Russian state propaganda. In 2018, Ukraine’s security service detained him on charges of high treason, accusing him of spreading Russian disinformation. A year later, he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and was transferred to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange deal.

He spent about a year in a detention center before being handed over to Moscow as part of a prisoner exchange in 2019. Pictured: Vyshinsky, who died in Moscow at 58, seen in 2019 after he was freed in a prisoner swap by Ukraine

Once back in Moscow, Vyshinsky resumed his propaganda work and openly supported Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, frequently justifying the war under the Kremlin’s narrative of “demilitarisation and denazification.” He also served on Putin’s so-called “human rights council” and publicly represented the Russian leader during the last presidential election.

Russian state outlets reported that Vyshinsky died after a “serious” or “lengthy” illness. However, no prior reports of him being unwell were made public. In fact, he had been active in recent months, making radio appearances and continuing his duties as executive director at Russia Today.

Vyshinsky was on Putin's so-called 'human rights council' and publicly represented the tyrant in the last presidential election

His sudden death adds to a series of mysterious fatalities among Russia’s elite, often under bizarre circumstances. Several top oligarchs, government officials, and business executives have died since the start of the war, many officially described as accidents or suicides.

In recent months, Andrey Badalov, vice president of Transneft, fell to his death from a luxury Moscow tower block, while Roman Starovoit, a former Russian transport minister, was found dead just hours after being dismissed by Putin. Other cases include Russian oil tycoon Ravil Maganov, who plunged from a hospital window in 2022, and multiple former MPs and executives who died in unexplained falls, shootings, or other unusual incidents.

Vyshinsky’s death will likely fuel speculation that the Kremlin continues to purge or silence insiders during the ongoing war with Ukraine.