Russian Singer Vadim Stroykin Dies Amid Police Raid on His Apartment

Russian singer-songwriter Vadim Stroykin died on Feb. 6 while security officials were raiding his apartment, according to the Russian human rights NGO OVD-Info.

Stroykin reportedly fell from a 10th-floor window during the raid, which was part of a criminal investigation into allegations that he had donated to Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify this report.

Russian media claims that during the search of his St. Petersburg apartment, Stroykin withdrew to another room before allegedly falling to his death. At least one Russian outlet has described his death as a "suicide."

Russia's Investigative Committee has launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Stroykin was vocal in his opposition to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, posting anti-war statements on the social media platform VKontakte in 2022. His posts condemned the war and criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin.

His death follows a pattern of mysterious fatalities involving Russian figures who opposed the war. In November 2024, acclaimed Russian ballet dancer Vladimir Shklyarov, who had also denounced the invasion, died after reportedly falling from his fifth-floor apartment. His death was officially labeled an "accident."

Since the 2022 invasion, Russian authorities have cracked down on dissent, detaining and imposing severe prison sentences on citizens for speaking out against the war or donating to Ukrainian charities—acts that are now classified as treason under Russian law.