As reported, the attack occurred on Thursday at about 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. Lithuanian time) in the Probuždenys settlement, which borders the city of Engels.
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Telegram channels claim that an unknown person was lurking near N. Varpachovičius’s private house, then fired twice from a pistol – into the head and the abdomen.
The attacker arrived on a motorcycle and hid his face under a helmet, so he escaped easily, and so far Russian law enforcement has not been able to detain him.
Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin-friendly Telegram channels Mash, SHOT, and Baza reported the attack, but the name of the injured person was not disclosed.
According to them, the Russian Air and Space Forces officer was taken to the hospital in critical condition. According to Baza, his driver was also injured in the assassination attempt.
The newspaper Kommersant clarified that the victim was flown to Moscow by a special flight, and the village of Probuždenys was cordoned off by security forces.
According to Radio Liberty, the Saratov region Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for attempted murder of a serviceman. It is reported that shell casings and bullets were found at the scene.
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The 22nd Aviation Division, which according to publicly available information is commanded by N. Varpachovičius, is deployed in Engels. It consists of the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, armed with strategic Tu-95MS bombers carrying Kh-101 cruise missiles.
War Criminal
Ukraine suspects him of repeatedly organizing missile strikes against civilian targets.
National investigators concluded that it was N. Varpachovičius who ordered the missile strike on the Kyiv TV tower on March 1, 2022. Five civilians died in the tragedy, including a 12-year-old girl, and six more were injured.
In February 2026, the general was charged in absentia with violations of the laws and customs of war related to intentional murder.
At the end of August, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) named N. Varpachovičius as one of the individuals involved in the brutal missile strike on the Ochmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv and the Sapphire hotel in Kramatorsk.
The Russian authorities have not yet officially confirmed either the identity of the injured person or the circumstances of the assassination attempt. It is also unknown who organized this attack.
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