A Russian general accused by Ukraine of directing a missile strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv has been shot outside his home.
Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Forces, was shot at close range outside a property linked to the officer in Engels. Independent outlet SotaVision reported that Varpakhovich sustained gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen and remains in critical condition.
He is reportedly being transported to Moscow for specialist treatment. A driver in a military vehicle nearby was also injured in the attack. The assailant, wearing a helmet, escaped on the motorcycle after the shooting. Russian officials are yet to formally identified the victim, although several pro-war Telegram channels named Varpakhovich as the officer targeted.
Ukrainian authorities have accused Varpakhovich of helping direct the July 2024 missile strike on Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital. The strike quickly became one of the most internationally condemned attacks of the entire war. Two people were killed, more than 30 were injured including nine children, and parts of the hospital complex were destroyed. The strike drew widespread global condemnation and became one of the defining images of civilian suffering during the conflict.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the shooting, Ukraine has also not commented.
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