A man's body was found on a beach on the southern coast of Cyprus, with initial data indicating that it likely belongs to Russian businessman Vladislav Baumgertner, who disappeared on January 7, Cypriot and Greek media reported, BTA reported.
As the information portal “Cyprus Mail“ writes, the body was found on a beach west of Limassol on Wednesday. The autopsy was performed yesterday by a forensic doctor called in by the administration of the British military bases in Cyprus, in whose jurisdiction the body was found.
The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition, which is why a definitive identification will only be possible after the analysis of DNA samples. The autopsy also did not lead to a conclusion on the cause of death.
However, a Cypriot police spokesman said that the clothes worn by the body resembled those worn by the 56-year-old Russian businessman at the time of his disappearance. The location where the body was found is also in the Baumgartner search area, as he was last seen getting out of a taxi in the village of Pissouri, near the beach.
Baumgartner's name became famous in 2013 when he was detained in Belarus. At the time, he was the CEO of the Russian company “Uralkali“, a leading producer of potash fertilizers, which was in conflict with the Belarusian producer of the same product. Baumgartner was subsequently extradited to Russia and later acquitted of abuse of office charges.