Journalist Who Exposed Russia’s Mercenary Force Dies in Fall from Balcony

Although local law enforcement’s investigatory committee ruled that there was nothing suspicious about the incident, others are wondering whether that conclusion is sound in the case of Russian journalist Maksim Borodin. The investigative reporter, who recently published an expose uncovering the Russian government’s use of mercenaries – a “shadow army” – in Syria, fell to his death in a five-story plunge from the balcony of his apartment in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg last week and died from his injuries on Sunday. Despite the official disinterest in the matter, others, particularly media-protective organizations, want to see a more serious investigation. Borodin is among 58 Russian journalists who have been killed since 1992 according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.