A Ukrainian sabotage operation resulted in the deaths of 18 Russian military officers, including four colonels, during a fire at a command post in Zaporizhzhia on August 30. The details of the incident were reported today.
The attack was carried out by Ukraine"s GUR military intelligence in conjunction with local saboteurs. It began when dry grass near the 35th Combined Arms Army"s headquarters caught fire, quickly spreading and engulfing dugouts in flames. Personnel were trapped due to smoke and carbon monoxide.
Among the deceased were:
- Col. Ilya Makhotin, 45, deputy chief of staff, Rocket Forces and Artillery (the senior-most casualty)
- Lt. Col. Sergey Konoyko, 47, intelligence chief
- Lt. Col. Dmitry Pashabekov, 48
- Lt. Col. Ruslan Shigabutdinov, 34
- Six majors and eight other officers
The remains of 13 individuals were recovered, while four, including Konoyko and a drone operator, could not be extracted. The site of the incident was completely incinerated.
This event follows a series of recent developments in the region, including ongoing military actions and strategic operations. For further context on international military aid, see recent developments.
