I wouldn't be surprised if this were true. Ratimov burned all bridges behind him, and instead of confronting problems, he just kept digging a deeper hole. Maybe it's an ego thing, I don't get it.

That leaves only one question: why would anyone buy such a high-profile account? Maybe that's why he stopped posting in English too, but if the account changed owner, that can't go unnoticed.
Imagine someone else using my account: how long would it last before it's exposed? I hope it doesn't even take a day!