Russian Strategic Bomber Division Commander Shot Near Engels, Remains in Critical Condition
Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of Russia’s 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, was seriously wounded in a shooting near the city of Engels in Russia’s Saratov Region on September 3.
According to Russian reports, an unidentified attacker approached Varpakhovich near a private residence in the village of Probuzhdenie on a motorcycle before opening fire. Two shots were reportedly fired, striking the general in the torso and face. His driver was also wounded in the attack.
The gunman fled the scene and had not been identified or detained in the initial reports. Varpakhovich was taken to a hospital in Saratov in critical condition before reportedly being transferred to Moscow for further treatment.
The 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division operates part of Russia’s strategic aviation force, including long-range bombers involved in missile strikes against targets in Ukraine.
The shooting came only days after Ukraine’s Security Service, the SBU, charged Varpakhovich in absentia over his alleged involvement in the July 2024 missile strike on Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital.
At this stage, there is no confirmed evidence identifying the attacker or establishing who was behind the shooting. Russian authorities have not publicly announced any arrests or identified a motive.