News Feed

Russian vice-governor and military commander killed in Kursk Oblast, Astra reports

1 min read
Russian vice-governor and military commander killed in Kursk Oblast, Astra reports
Sergei Efremov, Vice-Governor of Russia’s Primorsky Krai and commander of the Tiger volunteer military unit, was killed on Feb. 2. (Telegram/Astra)

Sergei Yefremov, Vice-Governor of Russia's Primorsky Krai and commander of the Tiger military unit, was killed in Kursk Oblast, Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported on Feb. 2.

According to reports from another Russian channel Mash, Yefremov’s vehicle struck a mine and exploded, killing him and another officer.

"While returning from a combat mission, Sergei Yefremov, the commander of the Tiger unit, was killed," Primorsky Krai Governor Oleg Kozhemyako said.

The Tiger volunteer unit was formed in 2022, and Yefremov took command of it in Aug. 2024.

Following his new appointment, his unit was deployed to Kursk Oblast.

Kyiv's limited incursion into Kursk Oblast began on Aug. 6, 2024, when Ukrainian forces temporarily captured about 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory.

While Ukraine has reportedly lost around half of that territory since then, fighting continues in the region.

Ukraine hopes to leverage its presence in the area in potential peace negotiations. Last fall, North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk Oblast to support Russian forces in countering the Ukrainian incursion.

Avatar
Sonya Bandouil

North American news editor

Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC. Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.

Read more
News Feed
 (Updated:  )

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Cyprus to meet his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, and top EU officials, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov said on Jan. 7.

Video

The Kyiv Independent’s Jared Goyette speaks with foreign policy analyst Ivan Fechko about Venezuela’s political crisis following the U.S. attack and kidnapping of dictator Nicolás Maduro — and why it marks a major strategic setback for Russia in Latin America and globally.

Show More