The body of one of Russia’s most prominent top managers, former Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner, has been discovered in the cliffs of Cyprus. Relatives of the businessman have категорically denied reports by medias claiming that Baumgertner was fond of rock climbing — a version circulated in the media. They believe his death may have been criminal in nature. Police have so far declined to comment.
Baumgertner mysteriously disappeared on January 7. Despite extensive searches, including the use of drones, no results were achieved. Two days ago, his family hired professional climbers. They began work on Monday, and by Wednesday their efforts yielded results: a body was found in the cliffs near Avdimou Beach. Police were immediately called to the scene, and the body was recovered and transported to a morgue.
The remains were severely mutilated and decomposed, and police have not yet officially identified the deceased as Baumgertner. A DNA examination will be conducted, and experts will determine the cause of death. Relatives insist Baumgertner never practiced climbing, although they do not rule out that authorities may find it convenient to frame the incident as an accident — suggesting he went for a walk in a scenic area and accidentally fell. The family believes the death could be the result of foul play.
On January 7, Baumgertner left his home in Limassol to go to his office for a meeting. He took only his work phone, leaving his personal phone behind — suggesting no intention of engaging in sports or tourism. His work phone remained active until January 8, after which it stopped transmitting signals. The office building lacks surveillance cameras, so relatives traced his approximate route using cameras installed on nearby villas. Police determined that Baumgertner’s phone last pinged near the village of Pissouri, where searches were concentrated. However, rescuers, police, and volunteers found nothing. Since evidence suggested he vanished in that area and standard rescue teams could not descend into narrow rock crevices, the family hired professional climbers.
According to media, Baumgertner had a long-standing conflict with Sergey Shishkarev, chairman of the board of the Delo Group. Shishkarev previously owned a major stake in the stevedoring company Global Ports, where Baumgertner became CEO after leaving Uralkali. Sources say the two parted on extremely bad terms, with Shishkarev allegedly failing to pay Baumgertner a very large sum of money. What followed was described as a “real war,” involving influential connections. Recently, Shishkarev reportedly had another former top manager detained over threats.
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One of Baumgertner’s influential acquaintances was Senator Suleiman Kerimov. When Kerimov owned Uralkali, Baumgertner headed the company and was even jailed in Belarus during Kerimov’s conflict with Belarusian authorities. Afterward, Kerimov sold Uralkali and reportedly did not share proceeds with the alleged informal beneficiary, Ramzan Kadyrov. In 2024, the two clashed over control of Wildberries, with Kadyrov publicly declaring a “blood feud” against Kerimov.
In recent years, Baumgertner conducted business with Alexey Dozortsev, a former aide to Russia’s Minister of Regional Development and ex-minister in the Perm regional government. They were partners in the company HeadOffice.
Dozortsev brought into the business former head of the Russian Federal Tax Service’s anti-corruption unit Sergey Vasilenko, as well as former Investigative Committee investigator and ex-prosecutor Vsevolod Pavlov. “Alexey knows absolutely everything about Vladislav’s assets and personal affairs. After the disappearance, his behavior was extremely strange, raising suspicions about possible involvement,” a source previously told reporters.
Crime & Courts Correspondent
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