Russian military commander who publicly attacked Putin mysteriously found dead
The general advised Putin to 'create normal living conditions' for officers
Reuters
A former Russian air military commander who has heavily criticised Putin has been found dead at his home alongside his wife.
Lieutenant General Vladimir Sviridov, 68, and his wife Tatyana, 72, were dead for a week before their bodies were discovered on November 15.
The highly decorated commander once slammed the Russian president for running a “third-ranking” air force.
He claimed that top officers in the military were leaving because of poor pay and conditions.
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The Russian Telegram channel Baza said there were no signs of violence on the victims nor any trace of toxic substances found in their blood.
“Gas service workers have already taken measurements and no excess of the permissible concentration of harmful substances has been detected,” Baza wrote.
It added: “What caused the death of Vladimir and Tatyana Sviridov is still unknown.”
Sviridov was appointed by Putin to command the 6th Army of the Russian Air Force and Air Defence.
He led the units from 2005 to 2009.
The former commander was an honoured Pilot of Russia and had previously been a military sniper pilot.
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Yet before he stepped down from the role, he criticised the way Russia’s armed forces were run.
In one interview, he said: “A pilot must have about 100 hours of flight time per year for full combat readiness.
“However, this is not yet the case. The average flight time in the army is currently 25-30 hours.”
In another, he complained: “We are forced to appoint not fully trained officers because there are no better ones.
“For the same reason we are sending to military academies third-ranking pilots. This did not happen in the past.”
Many experienced officers have left due to poor pay and working conditions, Sviridov claimed.
“One in two of our officers, unfortunately, has no accommodation,” he revealed.
“Up to 10 per cent of young officers are doing everything possible to retire early.”
Marina Yankina was found dead after plunging 160ft from a tower block
He advised Putin to “create normal living conditions for young officers, as well as for all servicemen, so that they can properly perform their service duties”.
His death is not the first mysterious high-profile Russia death since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
More than 30 high profile Russians have died since the war began.
In February of this year, Major General Vladimir Makarov, 72, was discovered shot dead in an apparent suicide after being sacked by the Russian president.
In that same month, Marina Yankina, a top-ranking official was found dead after plunging 160ft from a tower block on Zamshina Street, St Petersburg.
Her death was also treated as an apparent suicide.
The 58-year-old was head of the financial support department of the Ministry of Defence for the Western Military District, which is closely involved in Putin’s invasion.
She had been instrumental in the role at securing funds for the country's war on Ukraine.