Lintel from the Russian embassy complex: German authorities consider murder in the intelligence community to be unlikely

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Russian Embassy in Berlin (archive photo)

Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka / picture alliance / dpa

In the unexplained death of a suspected Russian spy who died after falling from an embassy building in Berlin, the German authorities do not assume, according to SPIEGEL information, a murder in the intelligence community.

According to security circles, the known evidence rather pointed to a suicide.

The 35-year-old Russian, officially accredited as the embassy secretary of the Russian mission, was discovered by a police patrol seriously injured on a sidewalk in Berlin-Mitte in the early morning of October 19. After intensive attempts at resuscitation, he was pronounced dead at 8:10 a.m. His wife is said to have reported to the police that she had previously asked her husband in her apartment, which is part of the embassy complex, to close a window because of the street noise. When she came back into the room shortly afterwards, he was lying on the sidewalk.

According to SPIEGEL information, no visible signs could be found during the rescue attempts that would indicate an outside influence.

There was no regular death investigation procedure, however, as the Russian embassy refused an autopsy and insisted that the deceased be transferred to Russia as soon as possible.

As a result, there was no examination of the home or tests for poison or drugs.

German security authorities attribute the deceased to the Russian secret service SWR.

In a statement, the Russian embassy described the death as a "tragic accident".

Speculations that he was a Russian spy were "absolutely wrong".

fis / mgb / srö / wow