A Russian major general accused by Ukraine of masterminding a missile strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv has reportedly been seriously injured after being shot in Russia’s Saratov region.
Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich was reportedly attacked on Thursday morning in the village of Probuzhdenie, near the city of Engels. According to Russian media reports, an unidentified gunman approached a private residence on a motorcycle and opened fire.
Russian online newspaper Mash reported that the gunman fired two shots at Varpakhovich, striking him in the torso and face. His driver was also reportedly shot but managed to call emergency services.
Varpakhovich was taken to hospital and is believed to be in critical condition. Independent Russian outlet SotaVision described the incident as the third reported assassination attempt targeting Russian military officers in the space of two weeks.
The general has been linked by Ukrainian authorities to the July 8, 2024, missile strike on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. At the time, Varpakhovich was commander of Russia’s 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, which is based at the Engels airfield.
Ukraine has accused the division of carrying out the attack using an Kh-101 cruise missile launched from a Tu-95MS strategic bomber. Ukrainian authorities said more than 600 patients were inside the hospital when the strike occurred.
The attack killed two people, including a doctor, and injured dozens more. The hospital’s toxicology building was destroyed, while several other buildings where seriously ill children were undergoing treatment and surgery were damaged.
Following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia and accused Moscow of knowing exactly what its missiles were targeting. He called for Russia to be held accountable for what he described as crimes against civilians and children.
Ukraine’s Security Service, the SBU, later announced that it had identified individuals it believed were responsible for the strike. On August 31, the SBU and Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office reportedly notified Varpakhovich in absentia that he was suspected of involvement in the attack.
According to the SBU, its investigation established that Varpakhovich had issued a combat order on July 8, 2024, directing a missile strike against the Okhmatdyt hospital.
The SBU said investigations and other measures were continuing to ensure those allegedly responsible would face accountability.
Neither Kyiv nor the SBU has claimed responsibility for the reported shooting of Varpakhovich. The circumstances surrounding the attack, including the identity and motive of the gunman, remain unclear.
