Authorities in Cyprus announced on Wednesday that the body discovered last month on a southern beach of the island has been positively identified as Vladislav Baumgertner, the former chief executive officer of Russia's largest potash firm. DNA analysis conducted by the police operating within the British military jurisdiction in Cyprus confirmed Baumgertner's identity. The executive, aged 53, disappeared from his residence in Limassol on January 7. His remains were located a week afterward on Avdimou beach.
Presently, an investigation into both the circumstances surrounding Baumgertner's disappearance and the cause of his death is in progress, according to the British Sovereign Base Areas police. Family members of Baumgertner have been officially informed of the identification.
Avdimou beach lies within one of the two British military bases maintained on Cyprus following the island's independence from colonial rule in 1960. These bases retain separate policing and judicial systems under UK authority.
Baumgertner once held the position of CEO at Uralkali, a leading potash enterprise. In September 2013, Belarusian authorities placed him under house arrest amid a dispute with Belarusian trading partners, accusing him of damaging the Belarusian economy. Two months later, he was released and extradited to Russia, where he faced criminal proceedings over allegations of office abuse.
Industry analysts have linked Baumgertner’s detention to Uralkali's exit from a joint venture with Belarusian Potash Co., a state-owned company, which at the time jointly exported roughly 25% of the world's potash. Uralkali's withdrawal was reportedly triggered by accusations that Belarus permitted the state entity to export potash independently, leaving Belarusian Potash Co. critically understaffed and raising fears of a price conflict in global markets.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko publicly criticized Baumgertner and Uralkali for inflicting harm on the national economy through their actions. After these developments, Baumgertner resided in Cyprus for several years, reportedly living above his workplace in Limassol, a city with a significant Russian expatriate community.