The victim of an assassination attempt in Saratov Oblast was Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of Russia's 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. Ukraine suspects him of organizing missile strikes on civilian targets. The general is in critical condition, the Telegram channel "Dossier of the Spy" claims .
The attack took place on September 3, around 7:00 AM, in the village of Probuzhdenie, which borders Engels.
According to the Telegram channel, an unknown assailant ambushed Varpakhovich near his private home and shot him twice with a pistol — in the face and abdomen.
The attacker, who was on a motorcycle and hid his face under a helmet, fled. He could not be apprehended.
Earlier, pro-Kremlin channels Mash, SHOT, and Baza reported the attack, but did not name the injured person. They wrote that an officer of the Russian Aerospace Forces was taken to the hospital in serious condition. According to Baza, his driver was also wounded during the shooting.
The 22nd Aviation Division, which, according to open sources, is commanded by Varpakhovich, is based in Engels. It includes the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, armed with Tu-95MS strategic bombers — carriers of Kh-101 cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian investigation believes that Varpakhovich ordered a missile strike on the Kyiv TV tower on March 1, 2022. Five civilians died then, including a 12-year-old girl, and six more people were wounded. In February 2026, the general was charged in absentia with suspicion of violating the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder.
Russian authorities have not yet officially confirmed either the identity of the injured person or the circumstances of the assassination attempt.
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