It will be correct to notice that the tragic death of Orhan Dzhemal, Alexander Rastorguev and Kirill Radchenko is not the first case in the series of deaths of journalists writing about the «Wagner PMC».
The first victim was the investigative-journalist of «RIA Novy Den» Maxim Borodin, who was one of the first who report about the death of the «Wagner PMC» mercenaries after the strike of the international coalition forces. Borodin wrote about the fighters of the so-called private military company Wagner from the Urals. In March, he released material in which, referring to his own sources, he reported on the delivery to Asbest of the bodies of the dead mercenaries Stanislav Matveyev and Igor Kosoturov.In another article written in co-authorship with another journalist says that at least 30 residents of Sverdlovsk region are fighting in Syria.
Borodin himself suspected that after the publication of the article about PMC “Wagner”, an observation was established behind him. Cossacks called Maxim , with the demand to name the sources of information.
On April 5, 2018 when Maxim came out from his house,on the porch he was attacked from behind and his head was broken.
I do not believe.
I never, did not write anything excess about anyone and anything. I was silent
But now, today I will make an exception
April 5, 2018
On April 6 and 7, I have a great event with guests from Moscow and I’m calling Maxim that he would come as a guest and, if possible, send an operator from the «Noviy Region» to our press conference.
Maxim answering – «I can not, I m in intensive care»
My questions – «What happened?» «Why?» « Let me come to you on the weekend?»
Maxim answered – «I did not need it. Everything is ok. I just came out of the entrance to the street and was attacked from behind. I do not know who.Broke my head»
I promised him that we will see on these days and on this we said goodbye.
April 12, 2018
I read the news and find out that Borodin «accidentally» dropped out of the window.
April 15, 2018
Maxim Borodin died.
I know perfectly well that Max does not at a loss for a word. I know that he had adrenaline and excitement for all these criminal stories. We have known each other for a long time and everyone who knows him personally knows that he he will begin in this or that business the truth to seek and dig…
But what happened is terrible and disgusting.
And I know for sure that with all weaknesses of Borodin to women, alcohol and light drugs, he would never fell out by himself. He had more plans to raise and he planned to move to Kurgan on May to work as chief editor of the mass media.
I really hope that the truth will prevail. We saw each other for the last time in the 30th of March. We were singing in karaoke and I know for sure that the man had plans not to get out of life, but instead to grow and rejoice a brighter future.
«Noviy Region» «4Channel» this is your colleague your friend and part of your family. Please investigate this case.I give you the data of the telephone conversation. Let everything be fair. Maxim thank you for you.
On April 11, 2018 Maxim called his friend Vyacheslav Bashkov and said that armed masked men are on his balcony and on porch. He feared that they would break into his apartment and make a search.
April 11, at five o’clock in the morning, Maxim called me through the facebook messenger and with a worried voice reported that he was surrounded by security officials, a man on a balcony with weapons and people in camouflage and masks in the stairwell.
Maxim expressed the opinion that in the shortest possible time they had brought a search to him and now await the court’s decision. Therefore, he needed a lawyer with what he told me and called. Maxim’s voice was alarmed but not hysterical, not drunk, I immediately remembered everything, promised to call someone I can and let if someone responds.
I called a couple of media editors in Yekaterinburg who, in my opinion, could have contacts of lawyers for such cases. But they did not have their lawyers. I called a colleague on the public supervisory commission who was not in the city, he promised to find someone, but not immediately. The hour flew by and then again Borodin called and said with a guilty voice that he had mistaken and apologized.
Maxim dealt with journalistic investigation of crimes and paranoia was understandable. It is better to be safe.
I did not call him after that,although I was waiting for him to write something in facebook. but he did not write.13th of April in mass media appeared information that the Maxim was found under the balcony and he was in intensive care.Of course I was frightened and I managed to break free from work, went with a lawyer to the police, previously reported that I was going to them. In the department I was talked about quite rudely. Several times I was asked why I did not call the police on 11th morning because this could save Borodin . For a moment I realized that I was just being pulled out of myself. Then in the police I found out that Maxim was found under the balcony on April 12th.
At home, I realized that the police did not ask me much about something, for example: to whom I applied for legal help for Borodin, contacts of these people, whether these people called to him after me, etc.
Today it became known that Borodin died in intensive care. The lawyer,who knows the system said that the police probably just waited for Maxim to die, that would transfer this case to the СК СКР. Therefore, they talked to me about all sorts of garbage instead of collecting data about people who might have known something about Maxim
I have talked with Maxim Borodin’s colleague and other journalists, I came to the conclusion that maybe I am the last one who spoke with him. Of course, it is necessary to check it. Also, it should be checked whether the journalist had the uninvited guests from the security forces about whom he spoke in the morning of April 11th 2018. We must know exactly that someone did not help him fall out of the balcony.
All public figures knew Maxim as a principally honest journalist who could go to the end. Such journalists in Yekaterinburg are very few. The investigation is obliged to check all the circumstances and all the versions of the tragedy that happened. If someone knows what happened with Maxim after the morning of April 11th this should be reported to law enforcement agencies.
However, after an hour and a half he called back and said that he was nervous and “apparently this is some sort of military training.”
As reported by Vyacheslav Bashkovity – Maxim’s voice was alarmed, but not drunk.
A day later, Maxim was discovered dropped out of the balcony from the fifth floor. Two days later he passed away without leaving the coma.
Maxim did not leave a note, but the journalist’s girlfriend told about the last SMS-message from Borodin. The beloved allegedly apologized and in the subtext was saying goodbye to her.
In the blood of Maxim was not found alcohol and drugs. In the management of the investigative commision for the region, TASS declared that they did not find any signs of a crime.
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