Explosion kills Russian occupation official in Berdiansk, Ukraine's intelligence claims
An explosion in Russian-occupied Berdiansk on Feb. 20 killed Yevgeny Bogdanov, deputy head of the local occupation administration, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) claimed.
The intelligence agency accused him of committing multiple war crimes against Ukrainian citizens. Bogdanov oversaw financial management for the occupation administration and coordinated the construction of fortifications in Russian-occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
A gray Renault Duster exploded and burned completely, according to HUR. Bogdanov was inside the vehicle, the agency claimed.
Bogdanov reportedly arrived in Berdiansk immediately after Moscow's troops occupied the city in early 2022 and was appointed to the local administration on orders from Russian special services.
Berdiansk, a key transport hub on the Azov Sea, remains strategically important for Russia, particularly for shipping looted Ukrainian grain and resources.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, multiple assassinations of Russian-appointed officials and military commanders in occupied Ukraine have been reported, often involving car bombs.
In December, Vasyl Nechet, the Russian-installed head of Berdiansk, was injured in a similar car explosion. In October, Russian Major Dmitry Pervukha was killed in occupied Luhansk under similar circumstances.
Kateryna Denisova
