Investigative Committee of Russia
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Assassination attempt on senior Russian bomber commander near Engels airbase
An unknown assailant on a motorcycle shot and critically wounded an officer of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the settlement of Probuzhdeniye, Engels district, Saratov Oblast, on the morning of 3 September 2026. Russian media identified the victim as Major General Mykola Varpakhovych, commander of the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case on attempted murder and illegal arms trafficking charges. President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the attempt in his evening address.