A Russian mercenary believed to have played a role in the killing of prisoners of war and civilians has become the last high-ranking military figure in Vladimir Putin’s forces killed in the war in Ukraine.
Social media and Russian newspapers reported that 44-year-old Vladimir Andonov was killed by a sniper in the second city of Kharkiv in Ukraine.
“He died during the night during the reconnaissance of the area, together with his comrade, probably at the hands of a sniper,” the telegram channel Peleng 03 said on Sunday in a publication reported by the Russian mass newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets.
Andonov is from the Mogoytui region, a Trans-Baikal region in the Siberian republic of Buryatia, whose local newspaper, Gazyeta Nomer Adeen, described him as “the most famous volunteer” in the region, announcing his death.
Vladimir Andonov, 44, was reportedly killed in Ukraine by a sniper. Associated with Wagner’s group of Russian mercenaries, local media reported that the Siberian region of Buryatia is the most famous military volunteer. Via Twitter
The Peacekeepers database, run by Ukraine, which lists Russian war crimes, says that in February 2015, Andonov participated in the execution of prisoners of war by the Ukrainian army in Logvinovo, Donbass in eastern Ukraine, where he volunteered. The database describes him as a “Russian mercenary” and an “executioner”.
In a 2017 interview, he told Gazyeta Nomer Adeen that he had “ideological motives” to go to the Donbass region because his grandfather had fought in Ukraine during World War II against forces of Stepan Bandera, a Ukrainian nationalist involved in the collaboration. with Nazi Germany.
He told the paper that he was a “shamanist” who would pray in battle to avoid bullets. He credited his belief that she had allowed him to avoid injury while fighting in the Sea of Azov in Donbas.
Also known by the pseudonym Waha, Andonov was part of a group of Wagner mercenaries who served Putin in conflict but whose ties to Russia’s military goals were denied by the Kremlin. He reportedly took part in Russian operations in Syria and Libya and in December 2017 was awarded a medal for military service.
His death comes when two other Putin commanders, Major General Roman Kutuzov and Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov, were killed by Ukrainian artillery in the Donbas region.
Although this has not been confirmed by Russian authorities, state television reporter Alexander Sladkov said Kutozov, who was commander of Russia’s 5th Joint Army, “led the people to the attack”.
Russia’s Volia Media news agency reported Berdnikov’s death.
This comes as another blow to Russia’s armed forces, which have suffered heavy casualties. Sladkov said Kutuzov was the fourth Russian general to be killed in Ukraine. The Kremlin has confirmed only three, while Western media sources put the number at least 12.
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