Russian official dies at five-star hotel after 'falling from high floor' following Putin crackdown

A Russian official has died after allegedly 'falling from a high floor' at a five-star hotel in Moscow.

Former St Petersburg transport boss Alexander Fedotov, 49, was in the "same team" as Vladimir Putin's transport minister Roman Starovoit, 53, who mysteriously died in similar circumstances on the day he was fired by the Russian President in July. Mr Fedotov's body was found outside the five-star Skypoint Luxe - former Sheraton - hotel at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport.

He had been staying on a business trip in a room on a "high floor" in the hotel, according to reports. A criminal investigation is underway, with reports saying no suicide note was found.

READ MORE: Transport minister sacked by Putin found with bullet wound to head 'was murdered’

Mr Fedotov had suddenly quit as transport chief for St Petersburg last year amid reports of a probe by the FSB, Russia's feared counterintelligence service.

He was linked to Starovoit, whose death in July - officially designated as suicide hours after Putin fired him - remains highly suspicious amid claims he had been "tortured" before being "murdered".

"Both deceased were members of the same team," reported channel VChK-OGPU - with links to law enforcement - today. The channel indicated Fedotov's links to Starovoit and said another official, close to both men, had gone missing.

Fedotov's death came the day after the body of a multi-millionaire former customs chief was found in a toilet after fleeing a court case.

Boris Avakyan, 43, was married to a beauty queen. His corpse was discovered with "slit wrists" in the toilet of the Armenian consulate in St Petersburg after he had fled a Russian court where he was implicated in a £37million fraud trial over customs duties.

Avakyan was married to professor's daughter Yulia Ionina, 39, winner of the Mrs World 2014 beauty pageant, and the couple had two children. She also won the Mrs St Petersburg 2012 and Queen of the World 2014 titles.

Last week, a top Russian executive from a military-linked chemical composites plant was found dead from a gunshot wound. Alexander Tyunin, 50, headed a pioneering company with close links to Putin's war machine.

Russia has suffered a spate of deaths of leading managers of major companies during and immediately before the war in Ukraine.

There have been repeated claims that at least some previous "suicides" in fact have been contract killings, perhaps linked to business feuds.