A Russian police colonel was found dead in Yekaterinburg
The body of Sergei Shalaginov, a police colonel and former deputy head of the Center for Countering Extremism at the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Sverdlovsk Region, was found in Yekaterinburg. Russian media outlets have offered varying accounts of the circumstances surrounding his death.
According to some publications, Shalaginov may have taken his own life after being dismissed. At the same time, the regional office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs denies that there were any conflicts between the colonel and his superiors.
Shalaginov’s body was found on the morning of September 1 near a high-rise apartment building on Shchorsa Street in Yekaterinburg. This was reported by the local publication E1, citing its own sources. According to the media’s sources, the police officer had resigned from the force shortly before his death.
Another Russian publication—“KP-Yekaterinburg”—also reported that the man had recently retired. According to a source cited by journalists, he had held leadership positions in law enforcement agencies. The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Sverdlovsk Region did not comment on the circumstances of the incident at the time.
Later, the pro-government website URA.Ru reported that Shalaginov had allegedly committed suicide after being dismissed from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The publication also claimed that, shortly before this, disagreements had arisen between the colonel and the leadership.
In particular, there was mention of a possible conflict with Rashid Dauletov, deputy chief of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Sverdlovsk Region. Subsequently, this article was removed from the publication’s website.
What the Ministry of Internal Affairs Says
The Sverdlovsk Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that Shalaginov had died but denied reports of a conflict at work.
Valery Gorelikh, head of the regional headquarters’ press service, told TASS that Shalaginov himself had submitted a request for retirement due to length of service. According to him, before he retired, management had offered the colonel a promotion.
“Sergey Shalaginov, former deputy head of the Center for Countering Extremism at the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Sverdlovsk Region, died in Yekaterinburg; he had previously submitted a request for retirement due to length of service. Before retiring, the leadership of the regional police headquarters had offered him a promotion,” said Gorelykh.
The police representative also stated that the regional department is helping Shalaginov’s family arrange the funeral. He dismissed reports of an alleged workplace conflict as speculation.
“As for the alleged workplace conflict, which some Telegram channels wrote about without verifying the information with the relevant authorities, this is nothing more than speculation,” Gorelykh said.
There is no official confirmation of the suicide theory in public statements by Russian law enforcement agencies.
What Shalaginov Did
Shalaginov held the rank of police colonel and served as deputy head of the Center for Countering Extremism at the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Sverdlovsk Region.
In 2022, he was awarded the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs medal “For Combat Cooperation.” In 2025, Shalaginov gave a lecture to students at the Ural State University of Economics on the threats posed by terrorism and extremism among young people.
During the meeting, he spoke about liability for unlawful actions and rules of conduct on the internet.
This was reported by Russian propaganda media outlets.
Retired FSB Major General Igor Laptev committed suicide in Moscow.
Earlier, Soviet dissident and human rights activist Nina Litvinova died in Moscow.
