At least four Russian officers were killed in Ukraine's attack on the town of Lgov in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Dec. 30, independent Russian media outlet Mediazona reported on Jan. 17, citing recently published obituaries.
Alexander Khinshtein, the acting governor of Kursk Oblast, claimed on Dec. 30 that the attack had injured an 86-year-old woman and damaged a two-story building. The Russian official did not mention any losses among the military.
Yet, according to Mediazona, at least four officers of the 76th Air Assault Division with the rank of lieutenant colonel were killed by U.K.-made missiles.
One of the killed was Lieutenant Colonel Valeriy Tereshchenko, Mediazona reported, citing an obituary from the Officers' Hockey League page on social media. Eight people from the division's senior staff were killed, and 22 others were injured in the attack, the obituary read.
Two more obituaries about Lieutenant Colonels Pavel Maletsky and Alexei Seliverstov were found by Mediazona on their relatives' social media pages.
Another killed officer is Major Ali Tsurov from Ingushetia, who also served in the 76th Air Assault Division, Mediazona reported, citing Russian media outlet Fortanka.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Ukrainian troops carried out another attack on Lgov on Dec. 26, hitting a Russian command post. The attack allegedly killed 18 Russian soldiers.
Despite the high losses within Russian and North Korean ranks, Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast seem to be increasingly on the back foot, facing a Russian advantage in manpower and equipment.
Ukraine's foothold in Kursk is considered a possible bargaining chip ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's expected push for peace negotiations.
Asami Terajima
(Updated: )
