A Russian general has been killed in a mine blast in Ukraine, one of the highest-ranking military officers to be snuffed out in the war. Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zavadsky died Tuesday, according to an announcement from graduates of his alma mater, the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School.
The deputy commander of the 14th Army Corps, Zavadsky was not killed in combat but is thought to have been killed by a landmine placed by a fellow Russian unit to target Ukrainian reconnaissance groups.
“The investigation is considering the possibility of an explosion on a mine that was previously installed by a neighboring unit in order to combat the enemy’s [sabotage and reconnaissance unit],” the well-connected Telegram channel VChK-OGPU wrote, citing an unnamed source. “An attempt is also being made to attribute General Zavadsky’s death to an artillery strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the channel said.
The circumstances of Zavadsky’s death were not mentioned in the school’s statement, though some commenters expressed bewilderment at the thought that he’d been killed on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“The death of such a high-ranking officer is undoubtedly a huge loss for the army and the nation as a whole,” one woman wrote.
Several pro-war Russian media outlets mourned the “tragic death” of Zavadsky, which they also said occurred when he went over a mine. The Russian Defense Ministry has yet to comment on the death of Zavadsky, who would be at least the seventh Russian general confirmed dead in the war.
