Title: Potential Loss of Russian Commander as Russia’s war in Ukraine | CNN”>Ukraine Strikes Long-Range Aviation Base
In a significant strike against Russian forces, the Ukrainian military has reportedly targeted a long-range aviation base, leading to the potential loss of a high-ranking commander. This strike comes in retaliation for numerous military crimes attributed to the Russian Federation.
The Ukrainian military struck the Russian-controlled airbase in Ligovo, located in the Kursk region of Russia, using Storm Shadow missiles on December 30. Russian state media reports suggest that at least 8 Russian servicemen were killed, and over 20 others injured, among them potentially Col. Oleg Timoshenko, commander of the 52nd Long-Range Aviation Regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
Ukrainian officials and intelligence sources allege that Timoshenko played a crucial role in several devastating airstrikes, including the January 14, 2023, missile strike on a residential building in Dnipro, which resulted in the deaths of 46 civilians, including six children. The 52nd regiment, based in Shaanikovka, Kaluga Oblast, is also believed to be responsible for a June 27, 2022, airstrike on a shopping center in Kremennaya, killing 21 people.
Ukrainian officials and open-source intelligence (OSINT) experts have long sought Timoshenko’s removal for his role in these atrocities. The reported strike on Ligovo offers a grim reminder of the human cost of the ongoing conflict and the escalating tit-for-tat strikes between the two warring nations.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense had yet to comment on Timoshenko’s potential fate at the time of this report. Officials and OSINT experts anticipate further escalations in military actions as the war enters its second year.
