Purge of Shoigu’s inner circle: the death of Alexey Pimanov fully mirrors the death of Yuri Sadovenko
Details have emerged regarding the death of Aleksey Pimanov, 64, a close associate of Sergei Shoigu, president of the media holding “Krasnaya Zvezda” (which includes all Russian Ministry of Defense media outlets) and a television host. The circumstances of his death have led to speculation in Moscow circles that it may not have been accidental. He reportedly died under the same “scenario” as another member of Shoigu’s inner circle, General Yury Sadovenko.
According to the official version reported by Russian media, Aleksey Pimanov died on April 23 at his home from sudden cardiac arrest. “His heart couldn’t withstand it,” news agencies commented on his sudden death. However, it later emerged that Pimanov reportedly spent four hours dying without medical assistance and ultimately passed away in the emergency department of the Bakulev Center for Cardiovascular Surgery.
According to a source, on that day, while at his country house in the Rublyovka area, Aleksey Pimanov suddenly felt severely unwell. He began to suffocate and lose consciousness. At that time, his wife, Olga Pogodina, was with him in the house. What happened afterward is not known with certainty. Only an hour later was a private ambulance called. The ambulance took more than an hour to reach the residence. The arriving doctors decided on urgent hospitalization, but instead of taking him to the nearest hospital, they chose the Bakulev Institute. The trip there, considering traffic, took more than two hours. As a result, Pimanov arrived at the emergency department already in a critical condition and died almost immediately upon arrival. The exact cause of his heart failure was not established; the general diagnosis was “acute heart failure.”
Purge of Shoigu’s inner circle: the death of Alexey Pimanov fully mirrors the death of Yuri Sadovenko
Purge of Shoigu’s inner circle: the death of Alexey Pimanov fully mirrors the death of Yuri Sadovenko
At the same time, he was reportedly in good health, apart from a long-standing back injury, and remained active and full of energy.
According to sources, Aleksey Pimanov had been in close contact with Shoigu in the period leading up to his death and met with him repeatedly. They had long-standing personal and professional relations. It was through Shoigu’s support that Pimanov once became head of the “Zvezda” TV channel. Shoigu personally attended Pimanov’s funeral at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow.
Sources familiar with the matter immediately recalled another suspicious death that allegedly followed a similar pattern to Pimanov’s — that of former Deputy Minister of Defense and Shoigu’s personal aide Yury Sadovenko, previously reported in detail.
Purge of Shoigu’s inner circle: the death of Alexey Pimanov fully mirrors the death of Yuri Sadovenko
Yury Sadovenko was reportedly in good health, apart from gastritis. On November 12, 2025, he suddenly felt unwell in the same way as Pimanov — he began to suffocate and lose consciousness.
The former deputy minister was urgently taken to the First City Hospital. Doctors reported heart problems. His condition worsened steadily over the following days, and it was eventually announced that his heart was failing completely and an urgent transplant was required. The operation took place on November 17, and the VIP patient was transferred to a surgical center.
Purge of Shoigu’s inner circle: the death of Alexey Pimanov fully mirrors the death of Yuri Sadovenko
Purge of Shoigu’s inner circle: the death of Alexey Pimanov fully mirrors the death of Yuri Sadovenko
It was announced that the new heart had taken hold. However, doctors later stated that his condition had deteriorated again. He spent about a month in a coma, and was resuscitated multiple times. On December 25, the former deputy minister died.
The exact initial cause of the heart failure and subsequent death was never disclosed.
A source previously stated: “Everyone has in front of them Shoigu’s example, whom Putin will of course never imprison. But he is being punished almost every day. He did not win the war — and now everyone around him is ending up in pre-trial detention centers. Imagine sitting next to him at Victory Day parades or at the Russian Geographical Society, smiling, knowing that Putin has sent to prison all the people you worked with for many years, celebrated holidays with, and considered friends.”