Top Putin propogandist left fighting for his life after mysterious crash involving all-terrain vehicle leaves him with ‘traumatic brain injury and broken neck’

A top Putin propagandist was reportedly in a serious condition and fighting for his life after a mysterious accident involving an all-terrain vehicle.

Alexei Kostylev, 39, editor-in-chief of the pro-war Kremlin-funded Readovka news outlet, suffered multiple serious injuries in the Smolensk region.

According to reports, Kostylev – who also ran a ‘patriotic’ fashion brand that produces Stalin-style jackets – had suffered a ‘traumatic brain injury, brain haemorrhage, broken legs and a broken neck’.

It was reported that he was in a coma.

After emergency surgery, he was rushed to Moscow for further treatment.

Independent media SOTAvision said Kostylev had been riding an ATV while standing and at extremely high speed.

He also ran a “patriotic” fashion brand that produces Stalin-style jackets

Kostylev was a known sycophant of Putin (photo).

‘He turned around after hitting a bump in the road and the quad bike then fell on him.

“Local residents rushed to the scene and pulled the ATV off the man.

“The SOTAvision correspondent was told that he was unrecognizable, his face was so erased.”

There was no independent confirmation of this report.

His staunchly pro-Kremlin, anti-Western news channel Readovka with almost 2.8 million followers said: “We express our gratitude to all those who do not spread ‘versions’ from unconfirmed sources.

“We will keep you informed of Alexei’s condition.”

Another Telegram channel with links to the security services – VChK-OGPU – reported that no one saw the crash that occurred after Kostylev overtook aides on an ATV.

Ukrainian soldiers of the 43rd Hetman Taras Triasylo Separate Artillery Brigade fire at Russian troops in a Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer, amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, at a position in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 26, 202

A view of the damaged vehicles after a Russian missile attack on a residential building that killed 5 people and injured 21 in Dnipro, Ukraine on October 26, 2024

It also reported that locals had come to help the sticken propagandist.

The accident happened when he was visiting the family of Vitaly and Svetlana Morozov, who left Latvia with ten children to live in a village in Russia’s Smolensk region.

The purpose of the trip was to make “propaganda” videos featuring a family leaving the West to live in Putin’s Russia, VChK-OGPU said, adding that doctors had insisted that Kostylev travel by road and was not transported to Moscow by air.

Readovka later reported: “Alexei was quickly taken to the regional clinical hospital in Smolensk.

“In the morning it was decided to transport the media founder who was holding Readovka to Moscow, where he arrived for further treatment.”

The outlet said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with our editor-in-chief Alexei.

A Ukrainian military member of the 43rd Hetman Taras Triasylo Separate Artillery Brigade pilots a Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer, amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, at a position in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 26, 2024

A view of the destroyed buildings and vehicles after the Russian missile attack on Dnipro, Ukraine on October 25, 2024

‘We will keep you informed of all operational information. An unyielding spirit will conquer all.”

Readovka was originally founded by Kostylev in the Smolensk region, but later became national and in 2021 came under the rule of the shadowy Yevgeny Prigozhin, who also owned Wagner’s private army and died in a plane crash last year.

The Readovka Telegram channel is seen as an important tool of the Kremlin during the war.

Versions of the crash were removed from local news websites and the regional Interior Ministry said it had no record of the incident that injured Kostylev in the village of Rukhan, some 150 kilometers from the city of Smolensk in western Russia.

His fashion store – 24 New Russian Brand – specializes in Russian and Soviet-inspired menswear.