{
  "id": 9348678,
  "title": "At least 16 senior Russian officials have been killed after going to war in Ukraine, The Insider finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/at-least-16-senior-russian-officials-have-been-killed-after-going-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T14:19:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Insider",
    "slug": "the-insider",
    "url": "https://theins.press/en/news/297425"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "According to The Insider's calculations, at least 16 senior Russian officials have been killed while serving in Ukraine's war. These officials held various positions ranging from deputy heads of municipal districts to deputy governors. Ten of the 16 individuals had already been convicted or were facing criminal charges before enlisting in the military, primarily on charges of bribery and abuse of office. The latest known casualty is Konstantin Polezhayev, former Belgorod mayor and deputy governor. He was reportedly killed in a missile strike in the Kharkiv Region. Polezhayev had served as mayor from 2015 to 2019 and was detained in 2023 on bribery charges, receiving luxury vehicles as part of a deal with a construction company. Three out of the 16 casualties held deputy governor positions, including Sergei Efremov from Primorsky Krai, who died in Kursk Region in early 2025, and former Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug deputy governor Alexei Zolotukhin, who volunteered for the war and was killed in 2026. Three additional cases involved senior city officials, including former first deputy head of Yugorsk Dmitry Krylov, who was killed in battles for Avdiivka in February 2024. Ten of the 16 officials had criminal cases against them, and nine had been convicted. Some officials, such as Vladivostok Mayor Oleg Gumenyuk and Khakassia Deputy Governor Sergei Novikov, were able to leave prison or have their cases put on hold due to the war, but later returned to Russia. The tally does not include former Krasnodar Region Deputy Governor Sergei Vlasov, whose death was reported in spring 2026, but Kommersant found him officially listed as missing.",
  "summary": "At least 16 former and serving senior officials in Russia’s regional and municipal executive branches have been killed after going to war against Ukraine, The Insider has calculated based on data from open sources. The tally includes officials ranging from deputy heads of municipal districts or urban districts to deputy governors. Ten of the 16 had been convicted or were facing criminal cases…",
  "key_points": [
    "At least 16 senior Russian officials killed in Ukraine war",
    "Ten officials convicted or facing charges before enlistment",
    "Three officials held deputy governor positions"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Poland temporarily closes two border crossings with Ukraine amid Russian attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/poland-temporarily-closes-two-border-crossings-with-ukraine-amid",
        "published": "2026-09-23T12:55:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Insider",
        "title": "Independent exit poll finds signs of over 10,000 stuffed ballots in Russian State Duma voting in Cyprus",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/independent-exit-poll-finds-signs-of-over-10-000-stuffed-ballots-in",
        "published": "2026-09-23T15:20:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}