Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Phone records linked him to a unit involved in war crimes in Vovchansk.
Russian Major Alexei Karavaev died overnight between October 3 and October 4 during a front line inspection in the Kharkiv sector. Ukrainian artillery hit his vehicle as he moved between positions.
He died instantly.
Karavaev commanded the 11th Tank Regiment of the 18th Motor Rifle Division. His death was first reported by a Russian Telegram channel linked to the Northern grouping of forces.
Later, his wife confirmed the news in private messages, according to Russian outlet ASTRA.
The Ukrainian research group X-Hory OSINT also highlighted the incident on October 6. His unit is permanently based in Gusev in the Kaliningrad region. However, its troops have been locked in fierce battles across northeastern Ukraine.
Leadership has been unstable. Russian military channels noted that Karavaev was the fifth officer to command the regiment in just eighteen months.
Dark past revealed
Phone records connect Karavaev to another unit accused of brutal atrocities. Before taking his final position, he likely served as a battalion commander in the 82nd Motor Rifle Regiment.
Contact entries saved under his phone number included tags like “Sasha’s Battalion Commander Vovchansk” and “Father SVO 82 Regiment 1 Battalion.”
The call sign “Father” matched his known nickname.
Soldiers from that battalion held the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant during heavy fighting in summer 2024. According to the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office, troops there tortured and executed at least three Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Justice followed for some. One Russian squad leader, Sergei Tuzhilov, received a life sentence for those killings. Ukrainian intelligence forces later recaptured the industrial plant on September 24, clearing thirty buildings and capturing twenty Russian soldiers.
Heavy officer losses
Karavaev is not the only high-ranking commander lost along the eastern front. Ukrainian forces routinely target command vehicles with long-range artillery and drones.
A few weeks ago, a Ukrainian drone strike killed Colonel Oleksandr Isaiev, commander of Russia’s 8th Artillery Regiment. United24 Media reported at the time that Isaiev was a former Ukrainian officer who defected during the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
These targeted strikes disrupt Russian leadership across Kharkiv. Losing field commanders leaves frontline troops disorganized during ongoing battles.
