He is suspected of ordering an attack on a children’s hospital — now Russian general has been shot in the face

A Russian general has reportedly been shot in the head in an assassination attempt.

The Russian authorities have not commented on the identity of the victim, but The Moscow Times, citing various Telegram accounts, reports the victim as being Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich.

He commands a long-range aviation division. These specialized units fly the strategic bombers that launch cruise missiles toward Ukrainian cities.

His name probably does not ring a bell to many people outside Ukraine and Russia, but he is suspected of being the mastermind behind one of the most horrendous war crimes Russia has committed in Ukraine.

Hospital strike charges

Recently, the Security Service of Ukraine officially charged him with war crimes, accusing him of ordering a missile strike against a Kyiv children’s hospital last July. That brutal attack demolished cancer wards, killing three people.

One victim was a young child. Before the missiles hit, the hospital confirmed that hundreds had safely evacuated after the air raid alarms sounded.

Some patients were still trapped inside the building, including three people undergoing heart surgery. Subsequently, multiple nations moved to sanction the general.

Surviving the ambush

Varpakhovich survived and remains hospitalized. “Cartridge casings and bullets from a firearm were recovered at the scene,” the Investigative Committee stated.

According to the newspaper Kommersant, the wounded officer was flown to Moscow. Local media outlets noted the attacker shot him in the face and torso.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at the shooting on Thursday. He publicly warned that his nation would launch “asymmetric operations in response” to enemy attacks.

According to CNN, Zelensky declared that “the Russian criminals could not hide” and promised they would face justice.

A growing trend

This incident fits into a larger pattern of violence. The exiled news outlet Meduza reports he is the seventh general to face an assassination attempt in two years.

Explosives killed other military leaders recently. General Igor Kirillov died last winter when a device attached to a scooter detonated right next to him.

Two other lieutenant generals lost their lives in Moscow car explosions last year. A pro-Russian militia founder, labeled a “criminal mastermind” by Ukraine, also died in a bombing.

Russian authorities routinely blame Ukraine for these shadow killings. For their part, leaders in Kyiv have consistently chosen to neither confirm nor deny their involvement.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation