Near Engels, A Motorcyclist Shot And Killed A General In The Russian Strategic Air Force

• 3.09.2026, 13:33

Ukraine accuses him of orchestrating missile strikes on civilian targets.

Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich—commander of Russia’s 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division—was the victim of an assassination attempt in the Saratov Region. Ukraine suspects him of organizing missile strikes on civilian targets. The general is in critical condition, according to the Telegram channel “Spy Dossier”.

The attack took place on September 3 at around 7:00 a.m. in the village of Probuzhdenie, which borders Engels.

According to the Telegram channel, an unknown assailant ambushed Varpahovich near his private home and fired two shots from a pistol—one to the head and one to the abdomen.

The assailant, who was riding a motorcycle and had his face concealed by a helmet, fled the scene. He has not yet been apprehended.

Pro-Kremlin channels Mash, SHOT, and Baza had previously reported on the attack, but did not name the injured man. They wrote that the Russian Aerospace Forces officer was taken to the hospital in serious condition. According to Baza, his driver was also wounded during the shooting.
The 22nd Aviation Division, which, according to publicly available information, is commanded by Varpakhovich, is based in Engels. It includes the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, equipped with Tu-95MS strategic bombers—carriers of the Kh-101 cruise missiles.

Ukrainian investigators believe that Varpakhovich ordered a missile strike on the Kyiv TV tower on March 1, 2022. Five civilians were killed in the attack, including a 12-year-old girl, and six others were wounded. In February 2026, the general was charged in absentia with violating the laws and customs of war, in conjunction with intentional murder.

The Russian authorities have not yet officially confirmed either the identity of the injured person or the circumstances of the attack. It is unknown who organized the attack.