4 Chechen officers killed in car bombing in Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast, Ukraine's HUR claims

Four Chechen officers from Russian-backed Akhmat unit were killed in a car bombing near the occupied city of Skadovsk in Kherson Oblast on May 20, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) claimed on May 22.

According to HUR, the car exploded between Skadovsk and Antonivka in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast. Skadovsk, a city with a pre-war population of 17,000, lies on the Black Sea coast. Russia has occupied it since March 2022.

The first blast was followed by more explosions, as the officers were allegedly transporting ammunition that detonated, HUR said.

While Ukrainian intelligence did not explicitly claim responsibility for the incident, it said that "there will be just retribution for every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people."

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.

Russian officials, their proxies, and collaborators have been routinely targeted in both occupied parts of Ukraine and inside Russia.

Kyiv does not typically comment on the attacks or claim responsibility.