![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/vladimir-putin-critic-who-publicly-denounced-russian-leader-dies-of-serious-disease/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1_PAY-Viktor-Cherkesov-4-East2west-News.jpg&description=Viktor Cherkesov, who was once in charge of crushing Soviet dissidents, was crucial to Russia president Vladimir Putin's rise but the pair later had strained relations An old associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was demoted after publicly criticising the Kremlin leader has died from an unexplained " serious disease ". Viktor Cherkesov, once Putin's trusted deputy and the former chief of the Federal Drugs Control Service (FKSN), has died aged 72. Cherkesov was once in charge of crushing Soviet dissidents and was instrumental to the Russian president's rise, but the pair later had strained relations. When Putin headed the FSB secret service before becoming prime minister, Cherkesov was installed as his trusted deputy. Earlier he had been in charge of law and order in St Petersburg when it became Russia 's 'criminal capital' with a record for countless unsolved contract killings. At the time, Putin was deputy mayor. Image: rus.team /east2west news) rus.team /east2west news) No further details were immediately given on Cherkesov's cause of death in St Petersburg. In 2007, Cherkesov had suggested in a newspaper that the secret services were becoming corrupted under Putin. Instead of being 'warriors', senior officers were enriching themselves as 'merchants', he warned. An outraged Putin subsequently hinted his longtime ally Cherkesov was hardly clean and said he "considered it incorrect to air such problems in the media". 'And if someone acts in this way, makes such claims about a war of the special services, he himself must first be impeccable.' At the time an agent and also a former agent working for Cherkesov - then Director of the Federal Drug Control Service - died mysteriously from "poisoning". Image: narkotiki.ru/east2west news) narkotiki.ru/east2west news) Cherkesov was fired from this role in the wake of his criticism of the secret services under Putin. Some interpreted his demise and the poisonings as due to brutal turf wars among Putin's warring he){kind=link}
Viktor Cherkesov, who was once in charge of crushing Soviet dissidents, was crucial to Russia president Vladimir Putin’s rise but the pair later had strained relations
An old associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was demoted after publicly criticising the Kremlin leader has died from an unexplained ” serious disease “.
Viktor Cherkesov, once Putin’s trusted deputy and the former chief of the Federal Drugs Control Service (FKSN), has died aged 72.
Cherkesov was once in charge of crushing Soviet dissidents and was instrumental to the Russian president’s rise, but the pair later had strained relations.
When Putin headed the FSB secret service before becoming prime minister, Cherkesov was installed as his trusted deputy.