A high-ranking Russian general was killed during the fighting in Ukraine, which experts say will be a severe blow to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Andrei Sukhovetsky was the commander-in-chief of Russia’s 7th Airborne Division and deputy commander of the 41st All-Army and by far the highest-ranking Russian figure killed in the conflict.
A military source said Major General Sukhovetsky had been killed by a sniper.
Putin confirmed that the general had been killed in a speech informing the Russian people of the conflict, eight days after the deadly invasion.
The death of Major General Sukhovetsky, confirmed by a local officers’ organization in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia, will be seen as another sign that Putin’s military efforts are not planned.
He was a respected paratrooper who practiced missions in “hostile territory” and was reportedly rewarded for his role in the annexation of Crimea.
Sergei Chipilev, deputy of the group of Russian veterans of the Fighting Brotherhood, wrote on social media: “With great pain we learned the tragic news of the death of our friend Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky on the territory of Ukraine during a special operation. We extend our deepest condolences to his family. “
The Russian newspaper Pravda, which also reported his death, reported that Sukhovetsky graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School in 1995, starting as a platoon commander before becoming chief of staff of the Guards Airborne landing unit.
Hristo Grozev, executive director of the investigative journalism website Bellingcat, tweeted that confirmation of his death would be a “major demotivator” for the Russian military.
Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky
(Alami Stock Photo)
Major General Sukhovetsky, 47, rose through the ranks to take a number of leadership positions, and he participated in Russia’s military campaign in Syria.
Russia claims that 498 of its soldiers were killed in Ukraine and another 1,597 were wounded.
However, the British authorities say that the actual number of killed and wounded will almost certainly be significantly higher and will continue to increase.
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The UN Office of Human Rights said at least 227 civilians had been killed and 525 injured in Ukraine since the invasion began a week ago. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said more than 2,000 civilians had died.
A member of the Ukrainian delegation sent for talks with the Russians said the two sides had agreed to create corridors for the safe departure of civilians from combat zones.
The corridors will include a ceasefire on the road, said Mikhail Podoliak, an adviser to President Vladimir Zelensky.
Humanitarian supplies could be delivered through the corridors that were the main demand of the Ukrainians during their second round of talks in Belarus. Mr Putin also announced safe areas.
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