Russian general accused in Kyiv hospital strike shot in Saratov

A Russian major general accused by Ukraine of ordering a missile strike on Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital has reportedly been shot in Russia’s Saratov region, CNN reported.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Thursday that it had launched a probe into the attempted murder of a military serviceman who was shot several times in the city of Engels. The committee did not identify the victim.

However, Russian Telegram channels widely identified him as Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Long-Range Aviation.

GENERAL REPORTEDLY SHOT IN ENGELS

The serviceman survived the shooting and was taken to hospital, the Investigative Committee said. Local media reported that he was later flown to Moscow for treatment after sustaining gunshot wounds to his face and torso.

Engels is home to Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, including Tu-95MS and Tu-160 aircraft used by Moscow to launch long-range cruise missile strikes against Ukraine.

Ukraine has not officially commented on the shooting. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to refer to the incident in his daily address, saying Kyiv would carry out “asymmetric operations” in response to Russian actions.

“The Russian criminals did not hide, they will be found,” Zelensky said, adding that developments in the Saratov region offered another confirmation of this.

ACCUSED OVER KYIV CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL STRIKE

Varpakhovich was recently formally charged with war crimes by Ukraine’s Security Service and the Prosecutor General’s Office, which accused him of ordering units under his command to launch a Kh-101 cruise missile at the Okhmatdyt hospital in July 2024.

The strike killed three people, including a child who later died of injuries, and wounded dozens more. Several departments, including intensive care units and oncology and surgical wings, were damaged or destroyed.

The hospital said hundreds of patients and staff were evacuated after an air raid alert warned of an incoming attack. However, some patients, including three undergoing heart surgery, remained inside when the missile struck about an hour later.

Varpakhovich has also been sanctioned by the European Union and several countries over his alleged role in the attack.

SERIES OF ATTACKS ON RUSSIAN MILITARY FIGURES

Varpakhovich is the latest senior Russian military figure to be targeted in an apparent assassination attempt in recent years.

General Igor Kirillov, who headed Russia’s nuclear, chemical and biological protection forces, was killed in December 2024 when an explosive device planted on a scooter detonated near him.

Other senior officers, including Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik and Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, were also killed in car explosions in Moscow.

Moscow has blamed Ukraine for several such attacks, although Kyiv has not officially acknowledged involvement in many of the incidents.

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