An explosion in a closed-off military town in Russia's far east this week killed an army officer in what appears to have been an assassination attempt targeting a senior commander known as the 'Butcher of Bucha.'
Details of the Attack
Three sources familiar with the incident said the bomb detonated at approximately 9 a.m. on Tuesday in a residential block in Knyaze-Volkonskoye-1, the home of Maj Gen Azatbek Omurbekov. Omurbekov commanded Russian troops during the occupation of Bucha, Ukraine, in 2022, where over 400 civilians were allegedly killed.
Two sources revealed that the assailant placed the bomb in a mailbox between the first and second floors and installed a camera. However, the attacker targeted the wrong entrance: a subordinate was killed in the blast, while Omurbekov was not injured.
Omurbekov's Role and Sanctions
The European Union has imposed sanctions on Omurbekov for his involvement in the Bucha massacre. Russian troops are accused of killing more than 400 civilians in the town. Despite overwhelming evidence, Russian officials deny the killings, and President Vladimir Putin awarded Omurbekov the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
Omurbekov commanded the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade during the occupation. The British sanctions list accuses him of being in 'direct command' of troops involved in civilian killings. In an interview with Russian outlet iStories, a subordinate claimed Omurbekov routinely ordered the killing of civilians, including attacks on vehicles carrying noncombatants.
Security Implications
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has commented on the incident. Ukrainian intelligence agencies have targeted dozens of senior Russian military officers and officials since the war began, accusing them of war crimes. The anonymous Telegram channel VChK-OGPU stated the blast was intended for Omurbekov and killed a lieutenant colonel identified only as Kuzmenko.
Omurbekov's apartment block, primarily used by military officials, was cordoned off, and the garrison was patrolled by troops. Knyaze-Volkonskoye-1 is a small military settlement near Khabarovsk, close to the Chinese border, with controlled access and checkpoints.
According to Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russian intelligence services, the attack represents a security failure by the FSB. 'Given the massive resources military counterintelligence has at its disposal to protect personnel, this is a security lapse,' he said. 'The protection of military personnel has long been a priority for the FSB.'
Ukraine is believed to be behind a similar attempted assassination in February of Lt Gen Vladimir Alekseyev, a senior Russian intelligence official, who survived being shot in his apartment stairwell.
