A journalist who was branded as Putin’s “personal enemy”, Grigory Nekhoroshev, has died aged 69 after reportedly eating poisonous mushrooms. The exiled editor, who lived in Latvia, exposed Putin’s secret affair with a gymnast. Nekhoroshev passed away in the Latvian capital of Riga, where he had spent the last 11 years living as a “political refugee”, according to local news outlet Delfi. Nekhoroshev famously spearheaded the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Korrespondent.
Back in 2008, the publication sent shockwaves through the Kremlin by reporting that Putin was planning to divorce his then-wife Lyudmila to tie the knot with Olympic gold medallist Alina Kabaeva. The bombshell scoop painted a massive target on Nekhoroshev’s back, leaving him “quite nervous throughout those Riga years” over fears he could be targeted by Putin’s ruthless hitmen. Delfi reported: “Nekhoroshev was the first to reveal the name of the [Russian leader’s] common-law wife, rhythmic gymnastics champion Alina Kabaeva. Putin clearly did not forgive him for that.”
The journalist died at his Riga property after eating wild mushrooms he had foraged from his own yard.
Despite being an experienced mushroom aficionado, the fungi is claimed to have turned out to be lethal.
Latvian authorities have not yet commented on the tragedy, which occurred on Friday, but an autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
Tributes to the brave reporter have poured in.
Russian journalist Bozhena Rynska, who is also based in Latvia, branded his sudden death “incomprehensible”.
Close friend Igors Vatoļins, who saw Nekhoroshev shortly before his passing, described the ex-editor as “a not-old, not-ill person, full of ideas and plans”.
The 2008 expose completely derailed Nekhoroshev’s life in Russia, reports Daily Star.
Following the publication, the paper’s owner – former KGB spy turned billionaire banker Alexander Lebedev – was forced to shut down Moskovsky Korrespondent entirely.
Nekhoroshev was subjected to intense interrogation by secret services, forcing him to flee his homeland for safety.
At the time, a furious Putin lashed out at the claims surrounding his romance with Kabaeva – who is three decades his junior.
While Putin and Kabaeva initially denied the explosive reports, the relationship is now widely known to be ongoing.
Putin has refused to publicly acknowledge his romance with Kabaeva, 43, though the pair are understood to share two secret children together: Ivan, 11, and seven-year-old Vladimir.
