London Russian TV chef found dead in Belgrade hotel

Alexei Zimin during an interview with the BBC in 2017 inside his Soho restaurant

A Russian TV chef who ran a restaurant in central London has been found dead in Serbia.

Alexei Zimin, 52, was an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Crimea in 2014. He had spent his final years exiled in the UK.

The 52-year-old ran a cookery show on the Russian NTV channel, which was axed after he posted anti-war messages on social media following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Serbian authorities told the BBC there were "no suspicious circumstances" related to his death and that an autopsy and toxicology report were ongoing.

Mr Zimin was found dead in a hotel room in Belgrade, according to reports in Russian media.

He had travelled to the Serbian capital to promote his new book about Britain Anglomania.

Katerina Ternovskaya, co-owner of the restaurant where Zimin had presented his book and prepared food, said people were "in shock" adding that "the last time we have seen him, he was smiling and in a great mood”.

“The diner was wonderful and Alexei was very happy,” she said.

Mr Zimin's restaurant in London, Zima, confirmed the chef's death on Instagram.

"For us, Alexei was not only a colleague, he was our friend, a close person with whom we were lucky to go through a lot - both good, kind and sad," the restaurant said.

"Thank you to everyone for the words we [have received] today about Alexei. We are hurting together with you.

"The entire Zima team expresses condolences to Alexei's family and mourns together with them."

Alexei Zimin joined actor Jude Law during a live-streamed event in October 2016

Written in Russian, Anglomania covers how "modern ideas about democracy, freedom of speech, human rights, capitalism with an inhuman face and socialism with a human face, science, literature, Christmas turkey and afternoon tea" originate from the UK, according to Mr Zimin's website.

In May 2022, he told the BBC his restaurant had been targeted with abuse and arson threats after Russia's invasion.

"My partners thought about changing the name," he said.