MVD Colonel Who Headed Counter-Extremism Center Found Dead in Yekaterinburg: Version of Conflict With Leadership Refuted

On the morning of September 1, 2026, the body of Police Colonel Sergey Shalaginov — former deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Center for Countering Extremism in the Sverdlovsk Region — was found in Yekaterinburg. According to the outlet E1, citing its own sources, the body was found near one of the high-rise residential buildings on Shchorosa Street; the same sources claimed that Shalaginov had retired shortly before his death. The death of the official was confirmed by the Sverdlovsk MVD department, but the circumstances of his death and the reason for his departure from service became the subject of conflicting reports in the media and Telegram channels.

Circumstances of Discovery

According to available information, the colonel's body was found in the morning hours of September 1 near a multi-story residential building on Shchorosa Street in Yekaterinburg. The outlet E1, citing sources, noted that Shalaginov had already retired shortly before his death. Later, RBC-Ukraine, citing a report by The Insider, reported that the colonel, according to that outlet, fell out of a window. Thus, several formulations immediately emerged in the public domain regarding exactly how his fall occurred and in what precise location the body was found, which requires cautious reporting until the official investigation is complete.

Position of the Sverdlovsk MVD

The regional MVD department confirmed Shalaginov's death but categorically denied the existence of a service-related conflict. Head of the regional headquarters' press service, Valery Gorelykh, told TASS that before his death Shalaginov had submitted a report requesting dismissal based on length of service, and that the day before, on the contrary, he had been offered a promotion. According to him, the department is helping the family of a "comrade-in-arms" with organizing the funeral, and the version of a service-related conflict, which, in his assessment, was spread by certain Telegram channels, he called "speculations" not verified by the relevant authorities.

Contradictory Data

There are conflicting versions in the public domain regarding the reasons for Shalaginov's departure from the MVD and the circumstances of his death. The pro-government portal URA.Ru initially reported that the man allegedly took his own life after being dismissed from the MVD due to disagreements with the leadership; however, this note was later removed from the outlet's website. The outlet E1, on the contrary, stated that he had already retired shortly before his death. The Sverdlovsk MVD refuted this picture: according to Valery Gorelykh's statement, Shalaginov submitted a report requesting dismissal based on length of service, and the day before he had been offered a promotion, rather than being fired due to a conflict. Thus, one side (some media outlets and Telegram channels) speaks of a conflict with the leadership and a departure under pressure, while the official position of the department asserts that there was no conflict and that the departure was processed based on length of service against the backdrop of a promotion offer. These versions directly contradict each other, and until the investigation is complete they should not be considered established.

Who Is Sergey Shalaginov

Sergey Shalaginov held the rank of Police Colonel and served as deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Center for Countering Extremism in the Sverdlovsk Region. In 2022 he was awarded the MVD medal "For Combat Cooperation." In 2025 he delivered a lecture to students of the Ural State University of Economics on current threats of terrorism and extremism among the youth, where, in particular, he spoke about liability for unlawful actions and the rules of conduct on the internet. These details characterize him as an active official at the public level who was engaged in the prevention of extremism.

Context: Incident Involving a General in Saratov Region

Against the backdrop of Shalaginov's death, Russian media had previously reported on another incident involving a high-ranking official: in Saratov Region, an unknown person on a motorcycle shot twice at Major General Nikolay Varpakhovych, who, according to reports, was charged by the SBU with involvement in the strike on the "Okhmatdet" children's hospital, in which two people died. The military man sustained injuries to his face and body and was hospitalized in critical condition. This episode, along with the colonel's death in Yekaterinburg, intensifies the general atmosphere of tension around law enforcement officials, however, the two events should not be linked into a single causal chain without additional confirmation.