Ukrainian-born oligarch found dead in Britain

(A7) Ukrainian-born Mikhail Watford, a 66-year-old father of three, has been found dead at his mansion in Surrey, England, the Daily Mail reported.

Watford’s death is considered “unexplained” but not believed suspicious, the site said. He was found dead in his garage on Monday.

Watford made his fortune in oil and gas in Ukraine before building a property empire in the UK. The Daily Mail noted that Watford was not on the list of oligarchs that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said were associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government.

The Sun quoted a family friend as saying that, “The timing of his death and the invasion of Ukraine was surely not coincidental.”

 

In a statement, a Surrey Police spokesman said: “We were called around midday on February 28 following reports of the discovery of a man’s body. An ambulance was called but the man, who was in his 60s, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”

“An investigation into the circumstances of the death is under way but it is not believed there any suspicious circumstances.”