Latest news with #Mariupol
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Russian commander behind Mariupol strikes that claimed 8,000 lives is killed in 'suicide attack'
A retired Russian commander behind the Mariupol strikes that claimed 8,000 Ukrainian lives has been killed by a 'suicide bomber' on the southern city of Stavropol. Zaur Gurtsiev, 34, who had received several medals for participating in Russia 's bloody attacks on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, was killed alongside another identified man in a blast on Thursday, Russia's Investigative Committee said. The unnamed man is said to have approached Gurtsiev just before the explosion. Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said the bodies of two men with multiple injuries had been discovered on Thursday outside a multi-storey building and that criminal cases investigating murder and the illegal possession of explosives had been opened. Video footage published on social media showed two men standing close to some parked cars and a bench when a bright light filled the screen and the footage cut out. Russian authorities have now opened a criminal case following the death of the two men. They did not say what caused the explosion, but did not rule out the possibility of Ukraine's involvement. Local reports have also suggested that it was a suicide blast attack, possibly involving a grenade. Gurtsiev was due to be appointed to Stavropol's regional administration. Stavropol Region Governor Vladimir Vladimirov and other officials offered their condolences to Gurtsiev and his family. Gurtsiev's death comes following a string of attacks on high-profile Russian servicemen. In December, the head of the Russian military's biological and chemical weapons unit Lt. General Igor Kirillov was killed along with his deputy in an explosion in Moscow. Last month, an explosive device in Moscow killed senior Russian General-Lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik. The attack also comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Russia was engaging in 'yet another deception' by failing to hand over its peace settlement proposal ahead of a potential meeting between Moscow and Kyiv. 'Even the so-called 'memorandum' they promised and seemingly prepared for more than a week has still not been seen by anyone,' Zelensky said in his nightly video address. 'Ukraine has not received it. Our partners have not received it. Even Turkey, which hosted the first meeting, has not received the new agenda. 'Despite promises to the contrary, first and foremost to the the United States of America, to President (Donald) Trump: Yet another Russian deception.' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow had drafted a memorandum outlining a settlement position in the three-year-old conflict in Ukraine. He suggested a second round of direct talks take place on Monday, again in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who has maintained good ties with both sides, told reporters that Russia's invitaation for more talks had heightened Ankara's hopes for peace. 'The road to a resolution goes through more dialogue, more diplomacy. We are using all our diplomatic power and potential for peace,' Erdogan's office quoted him as saying. In Washington, the White House said Trump, who has been pressing both sides to move towards an agreement, hoped the proposed meeting in Istanbul would go ahead. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Moscow had received no reply from Kyiv on whether it would attend negotiations on Monday in Istanbul . Russia, Zelensky said in his address, was 'doing everything to make the meetings hollow' and Ukraine's partners needed to intensify pressure on Moscow. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that without being able to review Russia's memorandum, Kyiv would conclude 'it is likely filled with unrealistic ultimatums, and they are afraid of revealing that they are stalling the peace process'. When asked to comment on Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha's suggestion that Russia should immediately hand over the memorandum, Peskov dismissed the idea as 'non-constructive'. It also comes as Russian forces have taken four border villages in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, days after Putin said he had ordered troops to establish a buffer zone along the border. Sumy borders Russia's Kursk region, where a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year captured a pocket of land in the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II. The long border is vulnerable to Ukrainian incursions, Putin said, and creating a buffer zone could help Russia prevent further cross-border attacks there. Meanwhile, a Russian bombing campaign that had escalated in recent days slowed overnight, with far fewer Russian drones targeting Ukrainian towns and cities. Moscow's invasion has shown no signs of stopping despite months of intense U.S.-led efforts to secure a ceasefire and get traction for peace talks. Since Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkey on May 16 for their first direct talks in three years, a large prisoner exchange has been the only tangible outcome, but negotiations have brought no significant breakthrough.
CBS News
13 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Explosion kills Russian veteran who led airstrikes on Ukraine port city
A retired Russian commander who led airstrikes on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol died in a blast early Thursday in Stavropol in southern Russia, authorities said. Zaur Gurtsiev, 34, received several medals for participating in Russia's grueling assaults on the cities of Mariupol and Avdiivka. Authorities did not say what caused the explosion, but also did not rule out that Ukraine was responsible. Videos posted by Russian Telegram channels showed two men, one of them Gurtsiev, standing together in a residential neighborhood before a blast. A string of high-profile Russian servicemen have been killed in Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022. In December, the head of the Russian military's biological and chemical weapons unit, Lt. General Igor Kirillov, was killed along with his deputy in an explosion in Moscow, Russia's Investigative Committee said at the time. More recently, in April, an explosive device in Moscow killed a senior Russian general, General-Lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik, the deputy head of the main operational directorate of the military's general staff, according to Russia's investigative committee. Kyiv has in some cases claimed responsibility or reveled in the attacks, calling them "legitimate targets" given Moscow's three-year offensive has killed tens of thousands. Ukrainian security forces told CBS News after Kirillov's death that Security Service of Ukraine killed him in a special operation, a claim that could not be independently verified but sparked Russian calls for revenge against Ukrainian leaders. "Our hero, veteran of the special military operation and participant in the Time of Heroes programme, Zaur Alexandrovich Gurtsiev, has died," said Stavropol region governor Vladimir Vladimirov, using Russia's term for its Ukraine offensive. "All versions are being considered, including the organisation of a terrorist attack involving Nazis from Ukraine," he added, echoing the Kremlin's claim that it is fighting neo-Nazis in Ukraine. The veteran's 29-year-old acquaintance died alongside him, Stavropol law enforcement said. The Time of Heroes is the Kremlin's programme aimed to boost the careers of veterans stringently chosen to become part of Russia's future elite. Gurtsiev was serving as Stavropol's deputy mayor. He had commanded Moscow's air assault on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, a bustling Black Sea city devastated by Russian airstrikes. Russian forces rolled into Mariupol at the beginning of 2022 and imposed a brutal siege for nearly three months that resulted in 8,000 deaths, according to Human Rights Watch. The siege included a deadly airstrike on a theatre where civilians were hiding. Ukraine does not typically comment on clandestine operations on the enemy's territory.
Telegraph
14 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Russian commander who led Mariupol bombing killed in ‘suicide attack'
The Russian commander who led a bombing campaign against the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol has been killed in an apparent suicide blast attack. Zaur Gurtsiev, 34, a decorated former major, was blown up on Thursday in Stavropol in southern Russia, authorities said. Gurtsiev received several medals and honours for commanding Russia's bombardment of Mariupol during a brutal siege in the early months of the full-scale invasion that killed up to 8,000 civilians. Russian authorities did not say what caused the explosion, but local reports suggested that it was a suicide blast attack, possibly involving a grenade or sticks of TNT. A 29-year-old man who approached Gurtsiev just before the explosion died alongside him. The possible assassination comes amid a volley of tit-for-tat accusations between Kyiv and Moscow on Thursday over the stalling of peace negotiations, while Russia continues to capture more ground in Ukraine's war-shattered east. In CCTV footage of the blast on Thursday, the other man is seen on his phone, waiting until the former commander arrived. As they walked towards each other, an explosion went off between them, killing them instantly.
The Sun
17 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Dramatic moment Putin's ‘war hero' who led slaughter of Mariupol is killed in mysterious ‘suicide bomb attack'
THIS is the dramatic moment Putin's "war hero" who led the bloody airborne slaughter of Mariupol is killed in an apparent suicide bombing. Major Zaur Gurtsiev, 34, was blown to pieces alongside another man in the city of Stavropol, southern Russia - with officials scrambling to figure out who pushed the button. 7 7 7 Gurtsiev was reportedly on a date with Nikita Penkov, 29, who was carrying the bomb in his bag - possibly unknowingly. CCTV footage shows Penkov sidling up behind Gurtsiev just before midnight, who is standing still on a city footpath. There is an enormous flash of fire, sparks and red light as the explosive detonates and pulverises the two men. Russian media described the incident as a "suicide bombing" in the aftermath - though there is confusion over whether Penkov was privy to the plot. The two men hooked up for a date after exchanging nude photos, according to a Telegram channel with links to the Russian secret services. The channel reported: 'During the investigation, explicit correspondence was discovered, where they sent each other nude photos. 'The deputy [mayor] had already invited his new acquaintance to spend time together, but each time the meeting had to be cancelled due to Gurtsiev's business trips, until last night." The report says that Penkov had been hired by a third party to collect intelligence on Gurtsiev, and given special equipment which could transmit live video. The kit was stowed his body bag - and fitted with explosives, the account said. These explosives were then detonated when the two were standing right next to each other - but this could have been done remotely. Britain will be wiped off the map with nukes unless it stops helping Ukraine, warns Putin's guru 'Professor Doomsday' Gurtsiev was still alive for around five minutes after bomb went off, according to Russian outlet Shot media. The major tried to crawl away from the explosion site before succumbing to his injuries. The Russian Investigative Committee was probing the circumstances of the assassination. Putin had appointed Gurtsiev as deputy mayor of Stavropol - part of a scheme to fast-track military "heroes" into political careers. The military man notoriously spearheaded the Russian airborne operation in the battle for Ukrainian city Mariupol - when thousands of civilians were slaughtered. He was officially married to wife Nadezhda, and they had a young family. 7 7 One local report suggested Penkov knew what he was doing - and points to the fact that he angled his bag towards the doomed major just before the explosion. Some 15 days ago he rented a flat in the block, outside which the bomb exploded. Reports said he was on a Russian black list for suspected money laundering. Neighbours said he was 'strange but polite', and regularly used taxis. One theory is that he was recruited by Ukrainian special services to target deputy mayor Gurtsiev. Ukrainian war journalist Denis Kazansky said: 'Gurtsiev was the executioner of Mariupol and a war criminal. 'He reportedly led the airborne portion of the operation to capture the city, meaning he was responsible for the mass civilian casualties he dropped bombs on.' Nikita's apartment was searched after the explosion. No explosives were found but a telephone and a laptop were confiscated. 7 7 In the wake of the dramatic assassination, Putin repeated the tired mantra that "family values" are essential to Russia, regardless of progress elsewhere in the world. Regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov said: 'All versions are being considered, including the organisation of a terrorist attack involving Nazis from Ukraine.' The Kremlin has long peddled the lie that Nazism is rife in Ukraine - and uses it to justify Russia's illegal invasion. As chief of the air operation in Maiupol, Gurtsiev oversaw the bloodbath bombing of the city's theatre, where an estimated 600 people died. In Russia, he was praised for the 'operation to liberate Mariupol' and his "developments in the technology of missile targeting, which allowed them to increase their accuracy and effectiveness several times, including hitting the Azov supply base'. Gurtsiev was also awarded the Order of Courage. He was handpicked to be part of Putin's "Time for Heroes" promotion scheme parachuting war heroes - often with blood on their hands - onto the political ladder across Russia. He also won more significant military honours from Putin, notably the Order For Merit to the Fatherland of the first degree with Swords, and both the Zhukov and Suvorov medals.
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Blast kills Russian veteran who led airstrikes on Ukraine port city
A retired Russian commander who led airstrikes on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol died in a blast early Thursday in Stavropol in southern Russia, authorities said. Zaur Gurtsiev, 34, received several medals for participating in Russia's grueling assaults on the cities of Mariupol and Avdiivka. Authorities did not say what caused the explosion, but also did not rule out that Ukraine was responsible. A string of high-profile Russian servicemen have been killed in Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022. Videos posted by Russian Telegram channels showed two men, one of them Gurtsiev, positioned in a residential neighborhood before a blast. Kyiv has in some cases claimed responsibility or reveled in the attacks, calling them 'legitimate targets' given Moscow's three-year offensive has killed tens of thousands. 'Our hero, veteran of the special military operation and participant in the Time of Heroes program, Zaur Alexandrovich Gurtsiev, has died,' said Stavropol region governor Vladimir Vladimirov, using Russia's term for its Ukraine offensive. 'All versions are being considered, including the organization of a terrorist attack involving Nazis from Ukraine,' he added, echoing the Kremlin's claim that it is fighting neo-Nazis in Ukraine. The veteran's 29-year-old acquaintance died alongside him, Stavropol law enforcement said. The Time of Heroes is the Kremlin's program aimed to boost the careers of veterans stringently chosen to become part of Russia's future elite. Gurtsiev was serving as Stavropol's deputy mayor. He had commanded Moscow's air assault on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, a bustling Black Sea city devastated by Russian airstrikes. Russian forces rolled into Mariupol at the beginning of 2022 and imposed a brutal siege for nearly three months that resulted in 8,000 deaths, according to Human Rights Watch. The siege included a deadly air strike on a theatre where civilians were hiding.
