The relatives of the ex-CEO of Uralkali, Vladislav Baumgertner, suspect that his demise in Cyprus could have been a homicide

The body of one of Russia’s top managers, former Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner, found in the cliffs of Cyprus.

The body of Vladislav Baumgertner, one of Russia’s leading top managers and former CEO of Uralkali, was discovered in the cliffs of Cyprus.

Relatives of the businessman categorically denied reports in the media that he was interested in rock climbing. They believe that his death may have been of a criminal nature, although the police have not yet commented. Baumgertner mysteriously disappeared on January 7. Despite searches using drones, authorities were unable to locate him. Two days ago, his family hired professional climbers who began work on Monday, and by Wednesday they discovered the body on the cliffs near Avdimou beach. Police were immediately called to the scene, and the body was removed to the morgue.

The body was severely damaged and decomposed, so the police have not yet positively identified it as Baumgertner. DNA testing will be conducted. Specialists will also investigate the cause of death. Family members say that Baumgertner never engaged in mountaineering, despite media reports, and do not rule out that the police may try to present the death as an accident—for example, that he went for a walk in a scenic area and accidentally fell. Relatives, however, suspect criminal involvement.

On January 7, Baumgertner left his home in Limassol for an office meeting, taking only his work phone and leaving his personal phone at home. Nothing indicated that he intended to engage in sports or tourism. His work phone was active on January 8 but later stopped working. The office building lacked surveillance cameras, so relatives traced his approximate route using cameras installed on neighboring villas. Police determined that the last signal from Baumgertner’s phone came from the village of Pissouri, where search efforts by police, rescuers, and volunteers were concentrated but unsuccessful. Because the terrain was difficult for ordinary specialists, the family hired professional climbers.

Baumgertner had a longstanding conflict with Sergey Shishkarev, chairman of the board of GC Delo. Shishkarev previously owned a significant stake in the stevedoring company Global Ports, where Baumgertner served as CEO after leaving Uralkali. Sources say the two parted on very bad terms, with Shishkarev failing to pay Baumgertner a large sum, resulting in a true “war” involving influential acquaintances. Recently, Shishkarev reportedly threatened another former top manager. One of Baumgertner’s allies was senator Suleyman Kerimov.

While heading Uralkali, Baumgertner had even been briefly detained in a Belarusian pre-trial detention center due to a conflict between Kerimov and Belarusian authorities. Following the dispute, Kerimov sold Uralkali and did not share proceeds from the deal with the undisclosed beneficiary, Ramzan Kadyrov. In 2024, a struggle for control over Wildberries erupted between them, and Kadyrov even declared a “blood feud” against Kerimov.

Recently, Baumgertner conducted business with his associate, former assistant to the Russian Minister of Regional Development and ex-Minister of the Perm Krai government, Alexey Dozortsev. Together, they partnered in the company HeadOffice. Dozortsev also involved former head of the Russian Federal Tax Service anti-corruption unit Sergey Vasilenko, as well as ex-investigator of the Investigative Committee and prosecutor’s office employee Vsevolod Pavlov.

“Alexey knows everything about Vladislav’s assets and personal affairs. After Baumgertner’s disappearance, he behaved very strangely, which raises questions about his possible involvement in what happened,” a source previously told investigators.