Editor-in-chief of Russian newspaper somehow "suffocated" on business trip

Vladimir [aren't they all] Sungorkin, a top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died this week of an alleged stroke while on a business trip. He was 68 and was the Editor-in-Chief of Komsomolskaya Pravda, a pro-Kremlin newspaper.

According to the newspaper, Sungorkin was in Roshchino, a village in Russia's far east region when he became "unwell" and "suddenly" died by what appeared to be signs of "suffocation" on Sept. 14.

His colleague at the paper, Leonid Zakharov, was accompanying Sungorkin on the business trip. He described his death in the Russian state newspaper: "It happened absolutely suddenly, nothing foreshadowed. We were in the village of Roshchino.

"We were driving, we were already making our way towards Khabarovsk, we planned to get there in the evening today, and from there to Moscow. All was good."

Zakharov continues by saying that his colleague fell unconscious just minutes after suggesting they find a "beautiful place" for lunch.

"Three minutes later, Vladimir began to suffocate. We took him out for fresh air, he was already unconscious in fact, we did some heart massage, artificial respiration... nothing helped.

"The doctor who did the initial examination said that apparently, it was a stroke. But this is the initial conclusion."

Was Putin behind the death of his supposed ally? Was it bad sushi? 

Sungorkin started out as a reporter with the newspaper and quickly flew through the ranks to becoming the Editor-in-Chief and General Director of the propaganda rag.

A Kremlin spokesperson issued a statement on Wednesday expressing its condolences to the journalist's family.

The passing of Sungorkin comes after a few allies to the Russian President have died in the last month, all prematurely, all under weird circumstances.

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Most recently, Ivan Pechorin, aviation director for Russia’s Far East and Arctic Development Corporation, was reported dead by local media outlets after allegedly falling from a boat in Vladivostok - a major port city in the country. 

Ivan had impeccable balance.

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