Cyprus authorities are investigating the disappearance of 56-year-old Russian businessman Vladislav Baumgertner, former CEO of the Russian fertilizer giant Uralkali, who has been missing from his home near Limassol since Wednesday, local media reported.
The Cypriot police stated on Tuesday, including a photograph and personal details of Baumgertner, appealing for information that could assist in locating him.
“Police are seeking information to help find Vladislav Baumgertner, 56, a Russian national, who has been missing from his residence in Limassol since 7 January 2026,” the statement said.
According to local reports, his disappearance was reported by an employee who said Baumgertner had not responded to her calls. Search operations on Saturday and Monday involved detailed ground investigations by police officers, members of the Limassol Investigation and Rescue Department, volunteers, as well as aerial support from a helicopter and drone.
The search on Monday focused on the western Limassol area and Pisuri, where the last mobile phone signal from Baumgertner was detected.
Baumgertner has a controversial history in Eastern Europe. In 2013, he was arrested at Minsk airport and held in temporary detention, amid a conflict between Moscow and the Belarusian government over potash cartel operations following Uralkali’s decision to end cooperation with state-owned Belaruskali.
He was charged with abuse of authority and extradited to Moscow in November 2013, where he was placed under house arrest before being removed from his position at Uralkali. Although all charges were dropped in 2015, the case was widely seen as political leverage in the context of relations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Baumgertner later returned to business, taking the helm of Global Ports, and in recent years has been residing in Cyprus, according to Cyprus Times.
Separately, Cyprus authorities confirmed the death of a Russian national unrelated to Baumgertner’s case. The Russian Embassy in Nicosia reported that its staff member, A.V. Panov, died on 8 January 2026.
“His death is a deeply personal tragedy for his family and friends. The family has been provided with all necessary support. The embassy, in cooperation with Cypriot authorities, is working to ensure the swift repatriation of his remains,” the embassy said.
Authorities in Cyprus continue to investigate Baumgertner’s disappearance, while no further details on the circumstances have been released.