Russian shipyard chief Alexander Buzakov dies suddenly with no cause given

The general director of a major Russian shipyard that specialises in building non-nuclear submarines died suddenly on Christmas Eve in mysterious circumstances.

Admiralty Shipyards gave no details about the death on Saturday of Alexander Buzakov, who had been in post for more than ten years in the role in Vladimir Putin’s home city.

The company, based in the western port of St Petersburg, announced his death in a statement. He was reportedly in his mid-sixties and had been in the job since August 2012.

His main achievement, it said, had been preserving and strengthening the shipyard's order books for modern non-nuclear submarines, surface ships and deep water vehicles.

Tass news agency said the shipyard is building improved Kilo-class diesel-powered submarines capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles.

In April, Moscow said it had used a diesel submarine in the Black Sea to strike Ukrainian military targets with Kalibrs.

The shipyard said Buzakov graduated in 1980 and had more than 40 years of experience, indicating he had been in his mid-sixties when he died.