Interfax: former head of Chuvashia Ignatiev died of coronavirus

The former head of Chuvashia, Mikhail Ignatiev, died of coronavirus, Interfax reports , citing a source in the administration of the head of the region.

“Ignatiev died. He was sick with coronavirus,” Interfax’s interlocutor said. Acting governor Oleg Nikolaev confirmed to RIA Novosti the death of Ignatiev.

At the same time, according to the deputy chief physician of the Almazov National Medical Research Center, Raisa Konashkova, the cause of death was “progressive cardiovascular failure.”

“After a massive heart attack, the patient developed and progressed to severe heart failure, which was complicated by impaired functioning of internal organs,” Konashkova told TASS. “The situation was aggravated by bilateral pneumonia.”

Earlier, Kommersant reported that the former governor was hospitalized with double pneumonia.

In January, President Vladimir Putin fired Ignatiev “due to loss of trust.” Before this, on the Day of the Russian and Chuvash Press in Cheboksary, Ignatiev called on “to kill” journalists and bloggers who “criticize from morning to evening” and “write how good it is in Europe, how good it is in America.”

He apologized for this action, but three days later he made the emergency services officer jump while handing him the keys to a new official car. Ignatiev was going to sue Putin over his resignation.

Updated at 23:00 and June 19 at 08:08. Added information from RIA Novosti and TASS.