Senior Russian Officer Among Three Killed in Ukrainian Intelligence Raid in North Caucasus

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has announced that a senior officer of the Russian National Guard and two other service members were killed in a Ukrainian intelligence operation in the North Caucasus.

The lieutenant colonel, along with his aide and driver, was targeted near the village of Tambukan in Russia’s Stavropol Krai while traveling to a training ground, The Caspian Post informs via Ukrainian media.

The agency shared footage showing the Russian officer under surveillance before an explosion struck his vehicle.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Ukrainian intelligence and security forces have been linked to several targeted killings of Russian military officers far from the frontline. The deceased officer was identified as the commander of the Avangard unit of Russia’s National Guard, which is tasked with maintaining public order and combating "terrorism" and "illegal armed groups."

The military intelligence agency said the operation was carried out with support from a group called the “Caucasus Liberation Movement,” though no further details were provided.

Tambukan is situated in southwestern Russia, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the Georgian border and roughly 650 kilometers (400 miles) from active fighting in Ukraine. The North Caucasus region remains one of Russia’s most volatile areas, with a long history of insurgency, ethnic tensions, and radicalism.