Sergei Ivanov, Russia’s former defense minister and close ally of President Vladimir Putin, died at age 73, the Kremlin announced on June 26, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The Kremlin did not disclose the cause of Ivanov’s death, with Putin offering “deep condolences to Ivanov’s friends and relatives” in a brief statement [1, 3]. Some social media reports said Ivanov died after falling from a window on June 28, but the Kremlin gave no official confirmation of the cause [3].

Ivanov served as Russia’s defense minister from 2001 to 2007, a period during which he oversaw the second Chechen war [1, 2]. After leaving the defense ministry, he held posts as deputy prime minister and then Kremlin chief of staff until 2016 [1, 2]. In 2016, he was assigned a ceremonial envoy role focused on environmental protection and transportation but was dismissed in February 2026 shortly after turning 73 [1, 2].

Before his death, Ivanov was honorary chairman of the VTB United League basketball organization, which first announced his passing publicly [2]. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Ivanov as an “outstanding politician” who made “an immeasurable personal contribution to the development of modern Russia and strengthened our national security and defense capability” [2].

Ivanov was considered a prominent figure within the siloviki, a group of former KGB and security service elites close to Putin [2]. He began his career in the KGB alongside Putin in Leningrad in the 1970s [1, 2]. Earlier in his career, he had been viewed as a possible successor to Putin before Dmitry Medvedev was chosen [1, 2, 3].

Ivanov was known as a fluent English speaker and a pragmatic yet combative participant in international security forums [2]. The U.S. and European Union sanctioned Ivanov alongside other Russian officials amid Moscow’s recent military actions [1].

Ivanov’s death coincided with separate reports that a Russian soldier publicly accused the military of abuses and threatened mutiny before being arrested, although this was unrelated to Ivanov’s passing [3].

In February 2026, Ivanov was dismissed from his envoy post after reaching the age of 73, marking the end of his official roles in Russian government service [1]. President Putin issued condolences to Ivanov’s family and associates on June 26, two days before Ivanov’s reported death [1, 2].