A top Russian military officer, Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, was killed in combat earlier in the week, according to multiple media outlets. A sniper shot is said to be the reason behind the death although details remain unclear.
“With great pain, we learned the tragic news of the death of our friend, Major General Andrey Sukhovetsky, on the territory of Ukraine during the special operation. We express our deepest condolences to his family,” Chipilev wrote on the Russian social media network VKontakte.
Volodymyr Omelyan, Ukraine’s former minister of infrastructure, confirmed the 47-year-old’s demise to Fox News Digital, while the U.S. government is yet to confirm it. Dan Hoffman, a former CIA officer, said to the media outlet that if news of Sukhovetsky’s death is true, it will be big news.
The Russian Military Defense had reported about a special operation conducted on March 2 to demilitarize Ukraine. Over 1,500 Russian servicemen were injured in this operation and 498 ended up dead.
Sukhovetsky, who graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School in 1995, kicked off his career as a platoon commander and eventually became the chief of staff of the Guards airborne assault unit.
Last year, he was appointed deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sukhovetsky has received two commendations of bravery from Moscow.
Russia has reported 498 troop casualties as of Wednesday morning. Officials from Ukraine claim Russian casualties to be around 9,000. Kyiv is yet to report on its own military casualties.
At least 331 Ukrainian civilians have died since the war began and 675 have been injured, according to the UN human rights office, which also admitted that the real number could turn out higher.
Russian military troops have seized the port city of Kherson and shelled Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv. It is bombarding the defenses of Mariupol. The city’s water supply and electricity have been cut off due to shelling.
Russian forces have also taken control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine, the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe. A huge fire had erupted at the site but was put out. Ukrainians in the port city of Mykolayiv are claiming to have driven off Russian troops, with fighting continuing on the outskirts.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg accused Russia of using the banned cluster bombs in its war against Ukraine, thereby violating international law. NATO and allies were “collecting information” and monitoring what is happening in Ukraine “very closely,” he added.
“I also welcome the decision by the International Criminal Court to open the investigation to this because we have to make sure that President Putin, the president of Belarus are held accountable for what they do,” the NATO Secretary-General said.
