At least 20 Russian officers killed in a single AFU strike on Donetsk

At least 20 Russian officers were killed as a result of a missile strike by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Donetsk on August 26. According to a investigation by "Mediazona", this is the largest known number of Russian army officers killed in a single attack during the Russian-Ukrainian war.

One of the missile fragments at the scene. Photo from Denis Pushilin's Telegram channel

Eighteen servicemen died on the day of the strike, and two more later succumbed to their injuries.

The deceased served in the headquarters of the "Center" group of forces — the headquarters of the Central Military District and the headquarters of the 41st Combined Arms Army. Journalists identified the names of the deceased by comparing lists of personnel of military units with state registries of inheritance cases and other sources, as well as by studying obituaries of high-ranking officers. The personnel lists used were current as of July 2025.

The missile strike occurred on the evening of August 26. Denis Pushilin, head of the occupation administration of Donetsk, stated that the target was the "Donetsk City" shopping center. According to him, eight people were injured then, including two children and two women. He claimed that Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles were used.

The Telegram channel Exile+ reported that one of the strikes hit a building on Ilyicha Avenue, 97, where research and industrial institutions were located before the war. The Ukrainian channel "CyberBoroshno" wrote that another target could have been an underground parking lot with 600 spaces under an unfinished residential complex, which was allegedly hit by six missiles.

Ukrainian OSINT projects suggested that both facilities were used by Russian servicemen as command posts. According to Exilenova+, 27 people were killed in the strike, and another 58 were injured. Among the seriously wounded, it was reported, were two generals.

Among the deceased staff members of the Central Military District, journalists named eight officers:

• 38-year-old Colonel Artsiom Berdyugin, Head of Planning and Coordination of Intelligence;
• 50-year-old Colonel Aliaksandr Kalianau, Head of Special Intelligence Department;
• 47-year-old Colonel Siarhei Liokhki, Deputy Head of Electronic Warfare Troops;
• 39-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Jury Zhyhalau, Head of Combined Training and Interaction with Branches of Service;
• 37-year-old Major Siarhei Lykau, Officer of the Operational Department of Missile Troops and Artillery;
• 41-year-old Major Viachaslau Latyshau, Engineer Troops Officer;
• 34-year-old Major Dzmitry Aucharanka, Head of Engineering Training Department;
• 36-year-old Major Anton Shcharbaneu, Officer of the Planning and Coordination of Intelligence Department.

Nine officers died in the headquarters of the 41st Combined Arms Army. Among them:

• 48-year-old Colonel Siarhei Laptseu, Department Head and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Operational Department;
• 55-year-old Colonel Vasil Latyshau, Chief of Staff of Missile Troops and Artillery;
• 39-year-old Colonel Yauhen Tsimkin, Head of Engineer Troops Department;
• 42-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Artsiom Akimau, Deputy Head of Air Defense Troops;
• 42-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Maisieyenka, Senior Officer of the Army Staff's Operational Department;
• 43-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Rustam Fakhrutdzinau, Head of Intelligence and Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence;
• 34-year-old Major Aleh Biarezauski, Information Protection Officer;
• 28-year-old Captain Kiryl Palazkou, Intelligence Department Officer;
• 26-year-old Senior Lieutenant Aleh Halubenka, Officer of the Intelligence and Automated Command and Control System Department.

Three other deceased served in other units or had an unknown place of service:

• 51-year-old Colonel Andrei Krastsiyanski, Senior Lecturer-Inspector of the Ministry of Defense's Training Center for Command Staff of Formations;
• 35-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Dzianis Paulau, whose last known place of service was the 15th Motorized Rifle Regiment;
• 46-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Viktar Basenka, previously Chief of Staff of Material and Technical Support of the 25th Combined Arms Army.

Additionally, "Mediazona" uncovered two other instances of mass casualties among staff officers of the 41st Army. On August 4, 2026, eight servicemen died, and on September 8, 2025, four died.

In August 2026, the following died:

• 52-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Aliaksei Furzikau, Operations Duty Officer and Deputy Head of the Territorial Command Center of the 41st Army Staff;
• 42-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Siarhei Audzeyeu, Head of the Missile Troops and Artillery Training Department;
• 29-year-old Major Mirza Mirzoyeu, Senior Officer of the Engineer Troops Operational Department;
• 39-year-old Major Siamion Bielanozhka, Officer of the Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops;
• 36-year-old Major Pavel Safonau, Topographic Service Officer;
• 39-year-old Captain Siarhei Averyn, Senior Officer of the Planning and Application of Unmanned Systems Department;
• 30-year-old Captain Mikalai Zabnin, Air Defense Officer;
• 34-year-old Lieutenant Aliaksandr Novikau, Officer of the Army Staff's Operational Department.

In September 2025, the following died:

• 39-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Siarhei Kanapliou, Head of the Communication Department of the 41st Army Staff;
• 37-year-old Major Faat Nazipau, Communication Department Officer;
• 46-year-old Major Andrei Asiutsin, Head of the Communication Department;
• 33-year-old Lieutenant Aliaksei Matskou, Officer of the same department.

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