Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov, a high-ranking Russian general, has been killed in a targeted missile strike as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.
Reports from both Ukraine and Russia confirm that the attack took place in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, in the city of Berdiansk.
Berdiansk is the city where Russian military commanders were stationed.
Russian General DEAD
Russian military commanders used the Dune Hotel as their quarters, and Storm Shadow cruise missiles carried out the attack, completely destroying the hotel.
The confirmation of Tsokov's death came from Petro Andriushchenko, advisor to the Ukrainian mayor of Mariupol, who announced it on his Telegram channel with a noticeable sense of satisfaction. Andriushchenko also mentioned that Tsokov had previously suffered severe injuries in action in September 2022 but had managed to survive.
Yurii Mysyagin, a member of Ukraine's parliament, also seemed to express a degree of celebration regarding the general's demise, praising the accuracy of the British-made Storm Shadow missiles supplied to Ukraine in May.
While Russia's Defense Ministry has not officially confirmed Tsokov's death, Andrey Gurulev, a member of the State Duma, supported various media reports from Ukrainian sources and pro-Moscow bloggers.
During an episode of the talk show "60 Minutes" on the state-controlled channel Rossiya-1, Gurulev stated, "Unfortunately, [Tsokov] heroically died. That man deserves enormous respect; he has immense authority in the armed forces, and that's true."
Tsokov's death adds to the increasing number of Russian generals who have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Reports suggest that more than 20 Russian generals have lost their lives in the conflict. Retired Gen. Kiyofumi Iwata, former chief of staff of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, referred to the death toll as "unbelievably high" in a February quote published by the newspaper Nikkei.
Tsokov, who had been sanctioned by the EU, UK, and New Zealand for his involvement in the conflict, was a highly decorated veteran of the Chechen wars and had participated in a military campaign in Syria.
According to the New York Post, the Storm Shadow missiles used in the strike were jointly developed by the UK and France. The deployment of these missiles to Ukraine earlier this year has reportedly significantly strengthened the country's military capabilities.
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