Major-General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of Russian heavy bomber division, was shot twice by an armed motorcyclist near the Engels air base in Russia. The military officer was rescued and urgently transported to Moscow, where he remains in serious condition.
Varpakhovich was wanted in absentia by Ukraine, which accuses him of responsibility for the attack on the Okhmatdyt pediatric hospital in Kiev, which occurred in 2024. The attack on the hospital caused deaths and injuries among the civilian population, including children.
The incident occurred while the general was near the Engels air base, a strategic military installation that houses Russian heavy bombers. Russian authorities have not yet made official comments about the attack.
This case marks one of the rare episodes in which a high-ranking Russian military officer is shot within Russian territory. Kyiv has not confirmed or denied any involvement in the attack, but the incident occurs in a context of ongoing tensions between the two countries.
