Russian musician Vadim Stroykin, known for his contributions to the bard music genre, has died after falling from his 10th-floor apartment window during a police search, according to media reports on Thursday.
The Mash Telegram channel, linked to Russian security services, reported that Stroykin was under investigation for allegedly making financial contributions to the Ukrainian military. If charged, he could have faced up to 20 years in prison for allegedly supporting a terrorist organisation, according to The Moscow Times.
Authorities raided his apartment in St. Petersburg’s Admiralteysky district on Wednesday as part of the investigation. Local news outlet Fontanka stated that Stroykin was last seen alive in his kitchen before the fatal fall.
A preliminary investigation is in progress, but the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear. Russian officials have labelled the incident a suicide, though human rights groups have raised concerns about a pattern of suspicious deaths involving Kremlin critics.
