Russian drones struck Coca-Cola plant outside Kyiv, Zelenskyy says

On September 3, Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of Russia's 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, was targeted and shot in an assassination attempt near the Engels Air Base. The attack occurred in the village of Probuzhdeniye, Saratov region. Varpakhovich sustained serious gunshot wounds, with one bullet hitting him in the torso and another in the face.

The attacker, wearing a helmet, approached in a motorcycle and fired at the general. Varpakhovich's driver was also injured but managed to escape and call for medical help. The incident resulted in the general's hospitalization, with his condition described as either serious or critical. Russian pro-war channels confirmed the attack, linking it to Varpakhovich's role in organizing strategic aviation missile strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian military intelligence names him as one of the responsible commanders. Despite the attacker's identity remaining unknown, his connection to Varpakhovich was traced through leaked Russian databases. Ukrainian authorities have filed war crimes charges against Varpakhovich in absentia for the July 8, 2024, missile strike on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv.