A Moldovan Citizen Fired Six Shots At A Russian General

• 8.09.2026, 10:23

Nikolai Varpakhovich gave the order to attack "Okhmatdet."

FSB and Investigative Committee officers detained a 21-year-old Moldovan citizen Nicolae Kochu in the Astrakhan Region; he is suspected of attempting to assassinate a Russian soldier in the Saratov Region, the agencies reported.

According to official reports, on September 3 in the village of Probuzhdenie in the Engels District of the Saratov Region, the suspect fired six shots at the soldier. The soldier was wounded but survived. The victim’s name has not been released. The FSB has only specified that he is a high-ranking military officer.

According to unofficial reports, Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Long-Range Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, was wounded in the assassination attempt.

In Ukraine, Varpakhovich is considered responsible for the missile strike on the “Okhmatdet” Children’s Hospital in Kyiv on July 8, 2024. At the time of the attack, there were more than 600 patients and approximately the same number of staff members in the hospital. Two people were killed.