VLADIMIR Putin's alleged election fixer for over nine years has died suddenly from a heart attack despite seeming well days earlier.
Vladimir Churov – who infamously coined the motto "Putin is always right" – died on Wednesday at age 70.
The former chairman of the Russian Central Election Commission is said to have been in hospital following a "massive stroke" last week.
He died this morning shortly after undergoing surgery, according to the Russian state-owned news agency TASS.
Lawmaker Leonid Ivlev said: "It is sad news indeed. [He died] after surgery in a hospital at 8:00 am today.
"[He] passed away after suffering a serious heart attack."
But a shocked Ivlev said Churov had appeared in good health when he saw him on both Monday and Tuesday.
The pal claimed he had been talking about future plans despite his reported health woes.
He explained: "He had a heart operation, then came to his senses, began to get up, walk around the ward, talked about his plans, was going to write a book, but that's how it all happened."
Opposition factions strongly criticised Churov over "election fraud" in Putin’s favour during his term from 2007 to 2016.
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His career was riddled with controversy regarding rigged votes, which earned him the nickname "the magician".
A former Western diplomat in Moscow said: "Churov knew where the bodies were buried over election falsification which gave Putin a clear run, preventing opposition parties gaining a foothold."
He was seen as doing the Kremlin’s bidding to give presidential and parliamentary polls the veneer of respectability when in fact they were rigged.
The Russian President also allegedly pulled some strings to help Churov rise through the ranks.
Putin made amendments to the Russian election legislation in 2007 to enable people without a law degree to become members of the Central Election Commission – allowing his fixer to get elected.
Churov made his unwavering loyalty to the leader clear from the get-go, adding fuel to the fire of the rumours of election fraud.
Putin's close pal triggered some of Russia’s biggest pro-democracy protests in 2011 amid claims of falsifying ballots.
Activists demanded Churov's resignation, but the defiant election official vowed to serve the remaining four years of his term.
He insisted footage that showed ballot-stuffing and other fraudulent activity had been doctored.
Churov was ultimately replaced by Ella Pamfilova in 2016, but was then personally appointed as a Russian ambassador at large by Putin.
The pair's friendship dates back to the 1990s, when the former election chief worked under the tyrant as deputy head of the St. Petersburg mayor's external relations committee.
Churov celebrated his 70th birthday less than a week ago on March 17.
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He was reportedly writing a book on alleged US meddling in elections abroad when he died.
The official had previously slammed the country's own voting system, describing it as "contradictory, archaic and not corresponding to the democratic principles."
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