An attack on a military base near the eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk targeted a Russian general known as ‘the Butcher of Butcha’. The ‘Kyiv Post’ and ‘The Guardian’ write this.
Ann De Nil
Journalist at HLN
Source: ANP, The Guardian
The bomb went off on Tuesday near a residential block where General Azatbek Omoerbekov lives, but ultimately did not kill him, but did kill a lower-ranking soldier. It concerns a lieutenant colonel identified only by his surname, Kuzmenko.
Wrong entrance
According to sources spoken to ‘The Guardian’, the attacker was at the right residential block, but chose the wrong entrance to plant the bomb. It is unclear who is responsible for the attack.
‘Slaughterer of Butcha’
Azatbek Omoerbekov was nicknamed for his role in the infamous capture of the Ukrainian city of Butcha in March 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
He commanded an elite infantry unit during the occupation of Butcha and is considered one of the most violent commanders to have served in the city. The British previously accused him of having “direct command” over troops involved in the murder of civilians.
LOOK. Surveillance footage shows Russian atrocities in Butcha
What Ukrainian troops found after the Russian withdrawal from Butcha — civilians executed in the streets, mass graves and testimonies of executions, torture and rape — defies imagination. Afterwards, more than 450 bodies were recovered, including many civilians. Russia has always denied responsibility for the massacre.
‘Hero of the Russian Federation’
Although the bombing apparently did not eliminate the intended target, the fact that the attack took place on a remote military base is “yet another security blunder by the Russian secret service FSB,” intelligence expert Andrei Soldatov told The Guardian.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine have commented on the attempted attack on the general. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian intelligence services have accused dozens of senior Russian military officials of involvement in war crimes.
‘The Guardian’ writes that Russian President Vladimir Putin previously awarded Omoerbekov the title ‘Hero of the Russian Federation’ during a secret ceremony. That is the country’s highest award.
