A post-mortem examination conducted on Monday has confirmed that a Russian diplomat in Cyprus found dead inside his office in the embassy last Thursday died from “asphyxiation by hanging”.
The Russian Embassy issued a statement on Monday describing the death A.V. Panov as a “deeply personal tragedy” and confirmed they are coordinating with “competent Cypriot authorities” for the swift repatriation of his remains to Moscow.
According to police sources, Cypriot authorities were only notified of the death several hours after the body was discovered on Thursday, January 8. When a police team arrived at the embassy in Nicosia, they were reportedly barred from entering the premises to conduct a standard forensic scene investigation. Instead, the diplomat’s body was handed over to the officers in the embassy courtyard.
Embassy staff informed investigators that Panov had died by suicide and had left a note; however, this letter was not surrendered to the Cyprus Police. The embassy stated that the document would be sent directly to Moscow for review.
The incident coincides with a period of heightened geopolitical strain, following President Nikos Christodoulides’ declaration that the Republic is facing an “organised hybrid attack” from Russian disinformation networks. The Cypriot government linked the timing of this pressure—and the simultaneous leak of a “kompromat” video targeting the administration—to Cyprus assuming the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and its support for Ukraine.
Panov’s body is expected to be repatriated to Russia within the coming days.
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