Putin defence official dies falling from window ‘leaving documents on balcony’ in latest mysterious death in Russia

A RUSSIAN defence official has mysteriously died after falling from a window of a high-rise building in St Petersburg.

The head of the financial support department of the Western Military District Marina Yankina, 58, was said to have left documents on the balcony before plunging 160ft to her death.

The woman's body was found under the windows near number 31 on Zamshina Street on Wednesday, local media reported.

According to preliminary information, 58-year-old Yankina was discovered by locals in the area who alerted the authorities. 

Police later found documents and personal items on the common balcony at the building's entrance that are believed to belong to Yankina.

Initial reports suggest she did not live at the building. 

Investigators are currently working to establish the circumstances surrounding the woman's death.

The press service of the Western Military District confirmed that the woman worked in the department.

Yankina previously worked at the Federal Tax Service and served as Deputy Chairman of the Property Relations Committee of St. Petersburg, according to .

She was believed to have been a key figure in the funding of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. 

Yankina has become the latest to die in mysterious circumstances after earlier this week, Major General Vladimir Makarov, 72, who was fired by Vladimir Putin a month ago, was shot dead at his home near Moscow.

He was in charge of "combatting extremism" in Russia, reportedly leading the witchhunt to oust the President's rivals, as well as journalists.

Last month former prime minister of an oil-rich Russian region Magomed Abdulayev, 61, was rammed by a car while crossing a street.

He was hit by a Niva car in Makhachkala city on the Caspian Sea.

In total at least nine tycoons and industry figures linked to the regime died in suspicious circumstances last year.

Back in December tank boss General Alexei Maslov, 69 suddenly died just one day after Putin cancelled a meeting with him.

Just days earlier, one of Russia's top naval chiefs also died suddenly aged 65.

Alexander Buzakov was the general director of the Admiralty shipyards in St Petersburg, in charge of building new submarines for Russia.

His death was described as "sudden, untimely and tragic".

Another four members of Russia's scientific and military elite died on the days either side of Christmas.

One of Putin's top engineers Vladimir Nesterov, died suddenly aged 74 after he was accused of massive embezzlement.

Multimillionaire Pavel Antov fell from a hotel window in India where he was travelling for a birthday holiday trip.

Previously listed as Russia's richest elected politician in 2019, he had slammed the blitz of Ukraine as "terror", and was one of the most high-profile Russian critics of the invasion.