Putin's 'rocket man' becomes latest senior Russian official to mysteriously die - days after top former Kremlin general was found dead on Christmas Day- Man who made Putin's dreams of space exploration possible has died aged 74- He is the fourth senior official with Russian links to die mysteriously in days- There have been suggestions Putin is 'clearing out' his inner circle and critics- Alexander Buzakov and General Alexei Maslov both suddenly died this week- Putin critic and sausage tycoon Pavel Antov fell to his death before ChristmasThe man who made Vladimir Putin's dreams of space exploration possible has died aged 74.He pioneered the new 'world's best' Angara rocket and was the former general director of the Khrunichev Centre, which Putin hoped would facilitate Russia's first manned mission to the moon.Vladimir Nesterov, is the latest casualty this year among Russia's elite and the fourth senior official reported dead in a matter of daysHe pioneered the new 'world's best' Angara rocket and was the former general director of the Khrunichev Centre, which Putin hoped would facilitate Russia's first manned mission to the moonAuthorities accused him of pocketing upwards of £57million, and he had been under house arrest pending further investigation.Alexander Buzakov, 65, director general of Admiralty Shipyards, in charge of building new submarines armed with deadly Kalibr missiles, also unexpectedly died earlier this week.And General Alexei Maslov, 69, former commander of Russian ground forces with close ties to Ukraine, died 'suddenly' on Christmas day, after Putin abruptly cancelled a trip to the tank enterprise where he worked as an international sales ambassador."