Putin purge fears explode after ANOTHER top businessman 'commits suicide'

A top Russian businessman has died in mysterious circumstances, as fears grow that Vladimir Putin is carrying out a ruthless purge of his Kremlin elite. Alexander Tyunin, 50, was found dead with a bullet wound and a rifle near his corpse in the village of Kokoshkino in the Moscow region.

He was the head of a chemicals plant that makes equipment for Russia's army and is the latest prominent tycoon to have met a grisly end. His lifeless body was discovered by a passing motorist, who then called the police. According to Russian media reports, a suicide note was found by the body of the Khimprominzhiniring boss, which claimed he was suffering from depression.

The note, which included the phone number of his wife, is reported to have said: "I did it myself - I've been tired of fighting depression for five years. It keeps getting worse. I have no strength left."

However, doubts have been cast on the real cause of death, after the note appeared in Russian media before the businessman's death was officially confirmed.

An anonymous source said: "There was an obvious need to get out the version that this was suicide before any investigations had begun."

This is just the latest case in a series of mysterious deaths involving officials and Kremlin-connected businessmen in Russia.

Kremlin insiders and analysts believe Putin is on a personal mission to drum up funds to help finance his war in Ukraine. Long tolerant of corruption, the Kremlin leader is now targeting those he believes have taken too much and undermined his war effort.

July saw a number of major incidents that left a bloody trail and shook Russian elites to their very core.

Andrey Badalov, the vice-president of state-owned pipeline company Transneft, fell to his death from a balcony at his home.

And then, even more shockingly, Roman Starovoit allegedly shot himself in his car after being dismissed from his position as transport minister.

It is the death of the former minister that has, in particular, sent shockwaves through Russia's elite.

A former Russian politician told the Express he suspected that Starovoit had been killed, saying: "I would say that more likely it was an assassination, just based on the circumstances of how it happened.

"But it really doesn't make a lot of difference because he was a crook, he was a thief, and the actual resignation happened after he was killed, not before."