Russian journalist Grigory Nekhoroshev dies in Latvia after suspected mushroom poisoning

Grigory Nekhoroshev, the Russian journalist who became known for exposing the secret relationship between Vladimir Putin and former Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva, has died at the age of 69 in Latvia, where he had been living in exile.

Reports indicate that he died after a suspected mushroom poisoning, from mushrooms he had picked near his home in Riga.

In 2008, Nekhoroshev was the first journalist to publish information about Putin’s plans to separate from his wife, Lyudmila Putina, and marry Alina Kabaeva. After the article appeared, the newspaper “Moskovsky Correspondent,” where he worked, was shut down, while the journalist himself was questioned by the secret services and faced threats, forcing him to leave Russia.

Friends of his said that Nekhoroshev had expressed concerns about his safety and feared the possibility of an attack. Russian journalist Igors Vatolins, who had met him shortly before his death, said that Nekhoroshev was the first person to make public the identity of Putin’s partner and that the Russian president “never forgave him for this.”

Authorities suspect that the death came as a result of consuming poisonous mushrooms. Nekhoroshev was known as a regular mushroom picker, but this time the mushrooms he ate proved fatal.

Putin has never publicly acknowledged his relationship with Alina Kabaeva. Nevertheless, for years international media have reported on their relationship and on the children they are suspected of having together.

The incident involving Nekhoroshev adds to a series of unusual deaths in Russia and abroad. In 2023, Russian professor Vitaly Melnikov, head of the Department of Rocket and Space Systems at RSC Energia, died after severe mushroom poisoning, two weeks after symptoms appeared.