ANOTHER top energy boss in Russia has been found dead – the 40th mystery death of an oligarch in the country.

The body of Igor Shkurko, 49, deputy general director ofYakutskenergo was discovered in his cell in a detention centre after he was accused of taking a bribe.

The day before his death, the executive had submitted appeals against what he claimed was an unjust bribery allegation.

A spate of unexplained deaths have occurred since the start of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine more than 13 months ago. 

Experts believe the deaths of at least 39 previous deaths high profile figures – ranging from oligarchs to scientists and even generals – could show the shadowy and bloodstained hand of the Kremlin.

The Russian authorities have provided no details on how Shkurko died but have said the evidence points to there being no signs of a “criminal death”.

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His company issued a statement saying: “We will remember him as an open, hospitable person with a big heart and a good sense of humour, the caring head of a close-knit family.” 

The high-earning Shkurko – who was married with two sons – was accused of demanding a £5,000 bribe. 

A cloak of secrecy appears to have been thrown over the circumstances of his death. 

Shkurko was a member of the pro-Putin United Russia political party but his membership was suspended following the bribery allegation.

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The Russian Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement: “On April 4, the accused was found in a cell of the pre-trial detention centre with no signs of life. 

“Arriving medical workers ascertained his death. 

“An investigative team was called to the scene. According to preliminary data, no signs of a criminal death were found.”

Shkurko was in charge of the technical management side of Yakutskenergo, which supplies power to the world’s coldest region, Yakutia. 

Dozens of high profile figures have died since Putin launched his bloody Ukraine war in over a year ago – with many in odd circumstances, such as sudden "suicides" and falls from windows.

Sergey Grishin – the so-called "Scarface" oligarch who sold Meghan and Harry their California mansion – died from sepsis after criticising Putin.

And meanwhile scientist Andrey Botikov – who created the "Sputnik V" vaccine – was strangled with a belt in his apartment last week.

Both men were two of the latest to join the staggering body count of high profile deaths of people linked to Mad Vlad.

Jon Sweet, a retired US Army Military Intelligence Officer, and Mark Toth, a national security analyst, described Putin as running "modern-day FSB version of Murder Inc."

Murder Inc. was an organised crime group that operated in the US – and is believed to have been responsible for more than 1,000 contact killings in the 1930s.

"Anyone seen as a potential threat seems to have an attraction to an open window," Sweet told The Sun Online.

Russia-linked deaths since the start of 2022

DOZENS of people in the Kremlin’s orbit have died since the start of 2022 – how many of them have been killed by Vlad and his cronies?

Leonid Shulman – January 30 – Gas boss – Found dead in his bathroom with suicide note

Igor Nosov – February 8 – Former governor – Died after suffering an apparent stroke in Moscow

Mikhail Watford – February 28 – Businessman – Found dead at his home in Surrey, UK – no evidence of crime found by cops

Alexander Tyulakov – February 25 – Gas boss – Found dead in his garage in suspected suicide in St Petersburg

Vasily Melnikov – March 23- Medical firm boss – Stabbed to death along with his family in 'murder-suicide' in Nizhny Novgorod

Vladislav Avayev – April 18 – Gas boss – Found dead with gun in his hand alongside wife and daughter in Moscow

Sergei Protosenya – April 19 – Gas boss – Found hanged alongside his wife and daughter who died of axe wounds at villa in Lloret de Mar, Spain

Andrei Krukovsky – May 2 – Gas boss – Fell down a cliff to his death in Sochi

Alexander Subbotin – May 8 – Oil boss – Died of 'drug induced heart attack' during shamanic ritual in Moscow

Dmitry Kovtun – June 4 – Ex-KGB agent linked to Litvinenko murder – Died in hospital from Covid in Moscow

Dr Dmitry Kolker– July 2 – Laser scientist – Dies after being arrested for treason and being flown to Moscow

Yuri Voronov – July 4 – Shipping chief – Shot dead in swimming pool in Leningrad

Dan Rapoport – August 14- Investor & Putin critic – Died after falling from a 9-story high rise in Washington DC

Darya Dugina – August 20 – Daughter of 'Putin's Rasputin' – Died in car bombing in Moscow

Ravil Maganov – September 1 – Oil oligarch & Putin critic – Falls from balcony while smoking in 'suicide'

Ivan Pechorin – September 10 – Gas boss – Found floating in the sea near Vladivostok

Vladimir Sungorkin – September 14 – Editor of Putin's 'favourite newspaper' – Suddenly suffered stroke while on lunch and died in Khabarovsk

Anatoly Gerashchenko – September 21 – Aviation boss – Falls down "several" flights of stars and dies

Pavel Pchelnikov – September 28 – Railway exec – Found shot dead on his balcony in Moscow

Nikolay Petrunin – October 12 – Politician – Died from complications of Covid

Nikolai Mushegian – October 28 – Crypto boss – Drowned in swimming pool in Puerto Rico, US

Viktor Cherkesov – November 8 – Putin's spy mentor – Dies after 'serious illness' in St Petersburg

Colonel Vadim Boyko – November 16 – Ukraine war mobilisation chief – Death ruled suicide despite being shot five times in Vladivostok

Vyacheslav Taran – November 25 – Crypto billionaire – Killed in helicopter crash in clear weather near Monaco

Vladimir Makei – November 26 – Belarusian foreign minister – Death ruled suicide by Minsk officials

Grigory Kochenov – December 7 – Tech boss – Fell to his death as police searched his flat in Nizhny Novgorod

Dmitriy Zelenov – December 9 – Real estate tycoon – Dies after hitting his head after falling down stairs in Antibes, France

Vladimir Budanov – December 22 – 'Companion' of Pavel Antov – Found dead in his hotel room in Odisha, India –

Pavel Antov– December 24 – Politician and businessman – Found dead in a pool of blood at his hotel just days after his friend Bidenov

Alexander Buzakov – December 24 – Shipyard chief – Died after attending unveiling a new submarine – no cause of death

General Alexei Maslov – December 25 – Tank firm boss – Suddenly fell ill and dies after Putin cancelled visit to factory in Uralvagonzavod

Vladimir Nesterov – December 28 – Disgraced rocket engineer – Cause of death undisclosed in Russia

Magomed Abdulayev – January 6 – Former regional leader – Mown down by car in Makhachkala

Dmitry Pawochka – January 26 – Space boss – Burned alive in his apartment in Moscow

Major General Vladimir Makarov – February 14 – Police chief – Found shot dead in 'suicide' at his apartment in Moscow

Marina Yankina – February 16 – Defence official – Found dead after falling from window of 16-storey high rise in St Petersburg

Viatcheslav Rovneiko – February 22 – Oil boss – Found unconcious at his home in Moscow

Andrey Botikov – March 3 – Sputnik V scientist – Strangled to death at his home in Moscow

Sergey Grishin – March 6 – 'Scarface' oligarch – Dies in hospital of sepsis in Moscow

Putin's regime of course has never admitted to anything – and has always dealt with the deaths of their enemies with a wry smile.

Novaya Gazeta Europe, a leading investigative news outlet and Transparency International Russia, recently conducted an investigation into a series of deaths at energy giant Gazprom.

They linked them to a “money-laundering scheme” benefiting a top gas executive’s family and his cronies from Putin’s security services and military.

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Among suspicous energy industry deaths was that of Alexander Tyulyakov, deputy head of corporate security at Gazprom who allegedly committed suicide the day after war was declared. 

He died  in Gazprom's guarded Leninsky corporate village in Leningrad region, near St Petersburg, and his body was reportedly discovered by his lover.

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