Ex-Putin Aide Died of Blunt Force Trauma

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s former aide, who was found dead in a Washington, D.C. hotel last year, died of blunt force trauma to the head, officials said Thursday. Mikhail Lesin also suffered injuries to the neck, torso, arms, and legs, Washington’s chief medical examiner reported. The medical examiner had not concluded whether the injuries were the result of a crime or an accident. The 59-year-old, a former Russian press minister and ex-head of the Gazprom-Media Holding group, was found at the city’s Dupont Circle hotel in November. D.C. police are still investigating the case, spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that Moscow was “waiting for clarification from Washington and the relevant official details on the progress of the investigation.”