A Russian reporter who died after falling out of a window was investigating sales of weapons by Russia to Syria and Iran, his newspaper Kommersant said Tuesday.
Ivan Safronov had told his newspaper that he had “received information” about the sale of Sukhoi-34 fighter jets to Syria and S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Iran via Belarus.
The business daily said the arms were being sold “via Belarus to avoid the west accusing Russia of arming rogue states”. Safronov, a former colonel, specialised in writing about the army and space.
Russian prosecutors on Monday opened an investigation into the “incitement to suicide” of Safronov.