{
  "id": 1744010,
  "title": "Ukraine identifies Akhmat drone company commander behind attacks on Sumy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/ukraine-identifies-akhmat-drone-company-commander-behind-attacks-on",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Voice of Ukraine",
    "slug": "new-voice-of-ukraine",
    "url": "https://english.nv.ua/nation/investigation-against-russian-officials-law-enforcement-identifies-akhmat-drone-company-commander-50633772.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ukrainian authorities have identified the commander of a strike drone company from Russia's Akhmat unit, accusing him of orchestrating regular attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in Sumy Oblast from Russian Kursk Oblast, the Office of the Prosecutor General announced on August 18. The Russian officer has been charged in absentia with treason under Part 2 of Article 111 of Ukraine's Criminal Code. The suspect, a 32-year-old former Dnipropetrovsk Oblast resident who held Ukrainian citizenship but moved to Russia-occupied Donetsk Oblast in 2014, fought with illegal armed formations under the self-proclaimed \"Donetsk People's Republic.\" In 2023, he voluntarily acquired Russian citizenship and changed his surname. Prosecutors revealed that during his tenure as commander of the Akhmat strike drone operators' company in Kursk Oblast since December 2025, he issued orders for systematic drone strikes on Sumy city and district's civilian infrastructure. Additionally, he established a messenger channel to provide informational support for Russia's armed aggression and endorsed its conduct, including reporting on the combat results of drone use. The suspect has been added to the wanted list by the prosecutor's office.",
  "summary": "Ukrainian law enforcement has identified the commander of a strike drone company in the Russian Akhmat unit, accusing him of ordering systematic attacks from Russia’s Kursk Oblast on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported on Aug. 18.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}