Police in Cyprus are continuing an air and sea search for Vladislav Baumgertner, the former CEO of Russian potash giant Uralkali, who was reported missing from his residence in Pissouri on Wednesday, 7 January 2026.
The disappearance of the 56-year-old businessman, a figure once at the centre of a major diplomatic crisis between Moscow and Minsk, comes at a time of tension between the Republic of Cyprus and the Russian Federation. Nicosia recently alleged an “organised hybrid attack” by Russian disinformation networks following the leak of a manipulated corruption video targeting the Christodoulides administration.
The search operation, involving police units, Civil Defence, and volunteers, has focused on a steep, rugged coastal area after Baumgertner’s mobile phone signal was last tracked to the cliffs near Pissouri. However, efforts have been hampered by storms. While a police helicopter and drones were deployed on Sunday, the mission was temporarily suspended due to adverse weather conditions and resumed on Monday.
Police describe Baumgertner as 1.90 metres tall, of slim build, with grey hair; he was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts.
Authorities have issued an appeal to the public for information. Anyone who knows anything that may contribute to his location is requested to contact Limassol CID at 25-805057, their nearest police station, or the Citizen’s Line at 1460.
Past criminal charges
In 2013, Baumgertner was arrested at Minsk airport and held in a KGB pre-trial detention centre after inviting a row with the Belarusian government over a potash cartel. Uralkali had declared that it would stop selling its product through the Belarusian Potash Company (BKK). The trader dealt primarily with Russian Uralkali and state-run Belaruskali, with both sides accusing each other of undocumented sales without the aid of BKK.
Baumgertner was arrested in Minsk in August 2013 for abuse of office. He was extradited to Moscow on November 22 and then placed under house. In late 2013, the Uralkali board dismissed Baumgertner as the company’s CEO.
The case was turned over to Russia in September 2014. In Russia, Baumgertner was charged with abuse of office. Charges against him were dropped in 2015.
The Belaruskali connection: Cyprus-based sanctions evasion
The disappearance of the former Uralkali chief has cast a fresh light on the complex web of potash logistics involving Cyprus. According to a report by Politico, the European Commission banned the import of Belarusian potash in March 2022 following Minsk’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Consequently, the state-owned giant Belaruskali rerouted exports worth approximately €2 billion annually from the Lithuanian port of Klaipėda to Saint Petersburg. An investigation by the Belarusian Investigative Centre (BIC) revealed that these new arrangements involve a Cyprus-based firm, Dimicandum Invest Holding.
Documents obtained by BIC show that in 2023, Belaruskali hired the Nicosia-registered company to move cargo from railway wagons to ships in the Russian port. The deal allegedly involved Belaruskali paying Dimicandum $68 million for 3.4 million tonnes of potash—a rate of $20 per tonne. However, BIC data indicates that the actual port service price was only $11 per tonne, suggesting the Cypriot intermediary was used to siphon off funds or bypass oversight at nearly double the market rate.
Former Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner goes missing in Cyprus
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) January 12, 2026
Mysterious suicides among Russia’s elite have already happened — now come mysterious disappearances.
The 56-year-old Russian businessman Vladislav Baumgertner has gone missing in Limassol. He stopped responding on… pic.twitter.com/C2Oj4cECD3
Read more:
