Russia’s Deputy Science Minister Pyotr Kucherenko has died months after a prominent journalist recalled him criticizing the invasion of Ukraine in private conversations.
Kucherenko, 46, fell seriously ill on board a flight returning from Cuba on Saturday, Russia’s Science and Higher Education Ministry said Sunday.
The flight made an emergency landing in southern Russia but doctors who arrived onboard were unable to save the official.
Kucherenko’s family linked his death to a heart condition but declined to elaborate pending a forensic examination scheduled for Wednesday, according to the state-run broadcaster Zvezda.
Roman Super, an award-winning independent journalist and documentary filmmaker, said he had spoken with Kucherenko in the minister’s office “a few days” before the journalist left Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine last year.
The two reportedly discussed Super’s relocation plans, Kucherenko’s inability to leave Russia and his own opposition to Moscow’s invasion.
“It’s impossible [for me to leave Russia], they confiscate our passports. And there’s no world that would be happy to see a deputy Russian minister after this fascist invasion,” Super recalled Kucherenko saying.
According to Super, Kucherenko claimed to have taken “antidepressants and tranquilizers at the same time by the handful.”
“It’s not really helping. I don’t sleep much. I feel terrible. We’re all held hostage. No one can make a peep,” he said.
“You can’t imagine the degree of brutalization of our country. You won’t even recognize Russia in a year.”
Super did not say when exactly his conversation with Kucherenko took place. It is known that Super had left Russia for security reasons months after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Kucherenko is survived by his wife, the pop singer Diana Gurtskaya, and their teenage son.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
