Putin Ally Among His Top Military Officials Falls 16 Stories To Her Death From St. Petersburg Building

The Finance Director for Russia's Western Military District (WMD) and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Marina Yankina, is said to have died after falling 16 stories from a building in St Petersburg. 

Yankina's body was discovered on Wednesday by a bystander on the pavement of a residential complex in St. Petersburg's Kalininsky, reports The Independent. 

According to the report, Yankina, a key figure in funding efforts for Putin's war in Ukraine, called her ex-husband to let him know she was about to jump. She also told him that she was leaving her documents and packed belongings on the balcony. 

The Western Military District has confirmed one of its personnel had passed away but would not comment further, directing local media to the authorities in charge of the investigation, reports The Independent. 

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Yankina is the latest of several Russians to have plunged to their deaths during the war between Russia and Ukraine. In addition, the report says, she is the second senior Russian military official to die this week under suicidal circumstances.

Yankina worked in the Federal Tax Service before joining the Western Military District, reports the Russian media outlet Meduza. 

She rose to her chief-of-finance position within five years of joining the WMD as an entry-level staff member. 

Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to shell Ukraine cities amid an effort to seize more land in that country. 

Last week, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine revealed that it had eliminated 1,140 Russian troops over the past day. 

According to a report, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov recently said that Ukraine is bracing for Russian forces to launch a major offensive which could begin around Feb. 24, the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.

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