A prominent Russian chef and outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin's regime, who lost a TV competition for criticizing him, was found dead in a Serbian hotel room.
Alexei Zimin's sudden death comes with a backdrop of growing threats and mysterious incidents involving exiled Russian dissidents.
Zimin held a successful career as a celebrity chef and media personality in Russia, hosting a popular cooking show, the Daily Mail reported.
After speaking out against Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, his show was canceled.
NTV, a pro-Kremlin channel swiftly intervened to stop the show, leading Zimin to relocate to London, the BBC reported.
"11 years. For 22 television seasons I had a programme on Saturday morning prime time on NTV. Since May it has been gone," Zimin wrote after his show was canceled. "There will be no new episodes because of the host's anti-war position. Do I regret it? No, I regret that we ended up participating in the war."
Zimin opened a restaurant in London, which became known as a hub for the Russian expatriate community. Still, unable to escape his criticism of Putin's regime, Zimin's restaurant was faced with boycotts and threats.
At the time of his death, Zimin was in Belgrade, Serbia, promoting his latest book, "Anglomania," an exploration of British culture and democracy, BBC reported. There, Zimin was found dead in his hotel room.
The circumstances of Zimin's death remain unclear.
