Berlin
BerliniStock

A Russian diplomat was discovered dead last month outside the country’s Berlin embassy.

The body was found on October 19 on the pavement near the building by security officers overseeing the embassy, Der Spiegel reported.

The man seemed to have fallen from inside the embassy but the nature of how he ended up on the ground was not clear, according to the report.

The German foreign ministry verified that the death had occurred but did not give any additional details.

German media quoted the embassy describing the death as a “tragic accident” for which it would not give additional information for “ethical reasons.”

Sources familiar with the investigation told Der Spiegel that it was suspected the man was actually an undercover FSB officer.

According to BBC News, the man has been unofficially described as a 35-year old embassy secretary.

Kirill Zhalo was discovered deceased outside the building at 7:20 a.m. by guards. Medics who attended the scene were unable to save him. He appeared to have fallen from an upper window, but no official cause of death has been released due to the embassy refusing to allow an autopsy and German prosecutors not having jurisdiction, the Daily Mail reported.

Zhalo’s body was flown back to Russia on October 20.

Investigative open source journalism website Bellingcat reported that the diplomat was the son of the deputy director of the Second Service of Russia’s FSB intelligence agency.

It is not clear if the died from the fall or if he died before falling.