Reports: Russian Airborne Forces Commander Killed by Sniper in Hostomel

Ukrainian sniper reportedly killed Russian Major General Andrey Sukhovetsky outside Kyiv.

Reports surfacing from Ukraine say that a Ukrainian sniper has killed a high ranking Russian officer in the city of Hostomel to the North of Kyiv. The reports surfaced in both Ukrainian and Russian social media and appear to be authentic. Russian media outlet Pravda acknowledged the news on Mar. 3, 2022.

Russian Major General Andrey Sukhovetsky was the commanding general of the Russian 7th Airborne Division in Novorossiysk for three years and a deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army.

Sukhovetsky was 47 years old and a “highly decorated veteran” who was appointed deputy army commander of the 41st division in October 2021. Maj. Gen. Sukhovetsky had completed combat deployments in the Chechen war, Abkhazia, and the intervention in Syria. He had participated in the traditional Russian Victory Day Parade in Moscow twice and also been awarded a special commendation for his participation in Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

The loss of a high-ranking general officer for the Russians is significant. And while this information originated from Ukrainian sources, Russian social media has corroborated the story before western sources confirmed them.

The news comes as reports suggest fierce fighting on the ground north of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where a long convoy of Russian vehicles has been seen for several days.

A report from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claimed that Ukrainian forces destroyed 20 Russian military vehicles in the area surrounding the Hostomel Airport [that has become famous for being the homebase of the only An-225 Mryia, the world’s largest cargo plane, that was destroyed in the fightings] on Thursday. Ukrainian sources claimed the fighting around Hostomel was being conducted by a Ukrainian special forces unit supported by partisans fighting against the Russian incursion.

Additional reports said that the capital city of Kyiv was hit by a Russian short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) strike overnight. Reports said one missile hit the central train station, where crowds of Ukrainians attempting to flee the capital city had been seen days before. Three more ballistic missiles hit either TV or radio stations in Kyiv according to the Ukrainian reports.

Intelligence experts have suggested that Russia is using its only Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM) in service in Ukraine, the 9K720 Iskander-M mobile ballistic missile. The missile can deliver several different payloads including cluster munitions, high explosive and fuel-air explosives. One warhead that can be used on the Iskander-M produces an electromagnetic pulse to disable communications and radar capabilities.

The Iskander-M SRBM has a range of up to 500 kilometers with a minimum engagement range of 50 kilometers. It is specifically designed to evade anti-missile systems by flying a low trajectory where it is difficult to intercept.