Bhubaneswar: Even as the mystery surrounding the deaths of two Russians, including a lawmaker known to be a Putin critic, in an Odisha hotel is waiting to be unravelled, police are searching for another Russian, a self-proclaimed anti-Ukraine War activist, media reported.

According to a report in the media, the missing Russian man lived in Puri and had been earlier seen holding placards with anti-Putin and anti-Ukraine War slogans.

He was sighted at the Bhubaneswar railway station where he appealed for financial support as he was a Russian refugee and was against President Vladimir Putin and his military action on Ukraine.

Russian businessman and lawmaker Pavel Antov (65) and his friend Vladimir Bydanov (62) died at a hotel in Odisha’s Rayagada. While, prima facie, Bydanov died of heart stroke on December 22, Antov was found lying in a pool of blood outside the hotel two days later.

Many commuters at Bhubaneswar railway station had clicked the missing man’s picture, which has gone viral after he went missing.

Around a month ago, GRP officials at Bhubaneswar railway station talked to the man after they were informed that a foreigner was loitering around on the premises, the report said.

The officials said that they checked his passport and visa and found no anomalies.

As he wasn’t able to communicate in English well, they couldn’t learn much about him.

Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh said the police are providing all assistance after they were approached by the GRP.

However, at that time the Rayagada incident hadn’t happened and there was no reason for the police to suspect any foul play, a senior police official said, according to the report.