Police in Cyprus are continuing an air and sea search for Vladislav Baumgertner, the former CEO of Russian potash giant Uralkali, who was reported missing from his residence in Pissouri on Wednesday, 7 January 2026.
The disappearance of the 56-year-old businessman, a figure once at the centre of a major diplomatic crisis between Moscow and Minsk, comes at a time of tension between the Republic of Cyprus and the Russian Federation. Nicosia recently alleged an “organised hybrid attack” by Russian disinformation networks following the leak of a manipulated corruption video targeting the Christodoulides administration.
The search operation, involving police units, Civil Defence, and volunteers, has focused on a steep, rugged coastal area after Baumgertner’s mobile phone signal was last tracked to the cliffs near Pissouri. However, efforts have been hampered by storms. While a police helicopter and drones were deployed on Sunday, the mission was temporarily suspended due to the adverse weather, resuming on Monday.
In 2013, Baumgertner was arrested at Minsk airport and held in a KGB pre-trial detention centre after inviting a row with the Belarusian government over a potash cartel.
Police describe Baumgertner as 1.90 metres tall, of slim build, with grey hair; he was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts.
Former Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner goes missing in Cyprus
Mysterious suicides among Russia’s elite have already happened — now come mysterious disappearances.
The 56-year-old Russian businessman Vladislav Baumgertner has gone missing in Limassol. He stopped responding on… pic.twitter.com/C2Oj4cECD3
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) January 12, 2026
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