News Feed

Russian colonel killed near Moscow, Ukraine's military intelligence says

2 min read
Russian colonel killed near Moscow, Ukraine's military intelligence says
The remnants of a destroyed Russian Shahed drone at an exhibition in Kyiv on May 12, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Oleksii Samsonov /Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Aleksey Kolomeitsev, a Russian colonel who trained specialists in the use of attack drones, was killed in the city of Kolomna in Moscow Oblast, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on Sept. 28.

Kolomeitsev, 51, led Russia's 924th State Center of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), a military unit responsible for training specialists to operate combat drones. The unit specialized in the use of Shahed drones, which Russia employs daily in mass aerial attacks against Ukraine.

Kolomeitsev was found dead in Russia on Sept. 27, HUR reported.

The Russian colonel was "directly involved in Russia's full-scale invasion and war crimes against Ukraine," HUR said.

While HUR did not disclose the details of Kolomeitsev's death or claim direct responsibility for the killing, the post said that "every war crime will be punished with justice."

Kolomeitsev is not the first Russian to die in similar circumstances in recent weeks – HUR said on Sept. 16 that a Kremlin propagandist had been killed in the Russian city of Belgorod.

In a post on Telegram, HUR claimed Aleksandr Korobov died on Sept. 15 after his skull was "crushed."

According to Russian news outlets, Korobov was heavily injured in an apparent assassination attempt.

Korobov – nicknamed "Crab" – appeared as a war correspondent on Kremlin state media channel, Russia 1, and HUR said he also headed its Belgorod branch.

"The propagandist not only prepared false materials about the war, but also personally participated in the commission of serious war crimes against Ukraine," military intelligence said, adding that Korobov regularly worked in occupied areas of Ukraine.

While HUR did not claim responsibility for the attack, the post included both current and former home addresses for Korobov, and noted he "periodically visited Moscow according to instructions."

The Kyiv Independent contacted HUR for confirmation of who was behind the attack on Korobov. It replied with a smiling face with sunglasses emoji.

Avatar
Abbey Fenbert

Senior News Editor

Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.

Read more
News Feed

During a meeting with Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal on July 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the need to take additional "more decisive" steps to protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure and emphasized the importance of robust winter preparedness plans for communities and regions.

 (Updated:  )

Yulia Svyrydenko, who replaced former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in July 2025, will now take on a new role leading cooperation with Ukraine’s key partners, Zelensky announced on social media.

Video

Once promoted by the Kremlin as a symbol of Russia’s resurgence and a premier tourist destination, the peninsula now faces mounting pressure from Ukrainian drone strikes targeting military infrastructure, logistics, and supply routes.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 11 that he is preparing changes to Ukraine’s “diplomatic efforts” to accelerate weapons deliveries from allies, as Ukraine's stockpile of Patriot air defense missiles has run dry.

Show More