Putin's former classmate turned top judge Irina Podnosova dies at 71 in latest ‘mystery' death of senior Russian figure
RUSSIA'S top judge and Putin's former university pal has died today - just 15 months after taking the helm of the country's Supreme Court.
Irina Podnosova, 71, died after battling cancer for over a year, sources say, but Ukrainian commentators say this is the latest in a string of 'mysterious' deaths in the Russian elite.
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Chair of the Russian Supreme Court, Irina Podnosova, 71, has died
Credit: East2West
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Podnosova was Vladimir Putin's classmate at university
Credit: East2West
Podnosova, who was appointed as Chief Justice of Russia's Supreme Court in April 2024 under Vladimir Putin's recommendation, died in Moscow, according to Russian media.
It comes as Oil tycoon Andrey Badalov, 62, died after falling from the 17th floor of a luxury Moscow tower block, where he lived in a 10th floor penthouse.
Meanwhile, Putin's transport minister Roman Starovoit, 53, also died this month from gunshot wounds on the day he was fired - a death officially declared as suicide.
Podnosova's death is also a sign that 72-year-old Putin's habit of appointing his fellow septuagenarians to key posts has limitations for his repressive regime.
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Podnosova's predecessor Vyacheslav Lebedev died in April last year soon after he was 80.
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