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Russian Officer Accused of Commiting War Crimes in Kyiv Region Killed in Car Blast

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
News Writer
The moment of explosion, which killed a Russian officer in his car, on October 25, Kemerovo region, Russia. (Source: HUR)
The moment of explosion, which killed a Russian officer in his car, on October 25, Kemerovo region, Russia. (Source: HUR)

A Russian OMON police officer accused of participating in atrocities against civilians in the Kyiv region was killed in a car explosion inside Russia, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported on October 29.

According to HUR, the blast occurred on October 25 in the Kemerovo region, when a vehicle driven by Lt. Col. Veniamin Mazherin, a 45-year-old officer of Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardiya ), detonated.

Mazherin served in the OMON special-purpose unit “Obereg,” which Ukrainian authorities have identified as one of several Rosgvardiya formations implicated in war crimes and acts of genocide committed against civilians in the Kyiv region during Russia’s initial invasion in February–March 2022.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office has opened criminal proceedings against members of the unit under charges related to violations of the laws and customs of war, citing evidence and eyewitness testimony collected in liberated areas north of Kyiv.

Ukrainian intelligence said it had personally identified the perpetrators from “Obereg” as early as April 2022 and “planned measures aimed at ensuring just punishment” for those involved.

Earlier, HUR released footage confirming the elimination of Russian Lieutenant Vasily Marzoev, the son of General Lieutenant Arkady Marzoev, commander of Russia’s 18th Combined Arms Army.

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The Federal Service of Troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation is a federal executive body which is responsible for law enforcement, internal security, counter-terrorism, and riot control of the Russian Federation. It is an independent agency that reports directly to the Russian leader, under the president’s powers as Commander in Chief of the Russian Armed Forces and Chairman of the Russian Security Council. As of 2018, the National Guard consisted of approximately 340,000 personnel in 84 units across Russia. It includes the forces of the former Internal Troops of Russia, SOBR, OMON, and other internal military forces outside of the Russian Armed Forces.