Russian commander shot just days after being linked to strike on Kyiv children's hospital
The Russian commander is reportedly Maj. Gen. Nikolay Varpakhovich.
A Russian military commander was shot in the city of Engels, Saratov Oblast, Russia, on September 3, Russian media reported. This occurred just days after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) linked him to a deadly strike on a children's hospital in Kyiv in 2024. The attacker, who escaped on a motorbike, shot the commander twice before fleeing.
The commander is believed to be Major General Nikolay Varpakhovich, of Russia's 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. On August 31, the SBU issued a notice of suspicion against Varpakhovich in absentia for his alleged involvement in the missile strike on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv on July 8, 2024. This strike resulted in the deaths of two adults and injuries to at least 34 others, including nine children.
Footage showed a direct hit from a Russian missile on the hospital, damaging its children's oncology and surgery rooms. Ukrainian investigations confirmed Varpakhovich's role in the order for the strike, carried out by a Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber. The commander was hospitalized in critical condition following the shooting.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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