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Russian Officer Behind Mariupol Airstrikes Killed in Stavropol Grenade Attack

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
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Russian Officer Behind Mariupol Airstrikes Killed in Stavropol Grenade Attack
Zaur Gurtziyev, a major in the Russian Armed Forces. (Photo: open source)

A senior Russian military officer accused of orchestrating airstrikes during the siege of Mariupol was killed in a grenade explosion in Stavropol, southern Russia, Russian media outlet Astra reported on May 29.

The blast, which occurred late on May 28, also claimed the life of another man. Authorities are investigating the incident as a potential act of terrorism.

Zaur Gurtziyev, a major in the Russian Armed Forces and the first deputy head of the Stavropol city administration, was reportedly targeted while drinking with a companion on a bench outside a residential building on Chekhov Street.

According to preliminary reports, an unknown assailant approached and threw a grenade, killing both men at the scene.

The governor of Stavropol region confirmed Gurtziyev’s death, calling him a “hero” and a participant in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow still refers to as the “Special Military Operation.”

“With deep sorrow, I report that our hero, Zaur Aleksandrovich Gurtziyev, a veteran of the Special Military Operation and participant in the 'Time of Heroes' program, was killed in the overnight incident on Chekhov Street in Stavropol,” the governor wrote.

“Law enforcement and special services are working at the scene. Investigative actions are underway. All scenarios are being considered, including the organization of a terrorist attack involving Nazis from Ukraine,” he added.

Russian Telegram channels and local media reported the explosion happened around midnight near building 85/19. Though the blast damaged several nearby cars, there were no visible structural impacts on the apartment building itself. Emergency services responded quickly to the scene.

Ukrainian authorities and independent observers have linked him to the air campaign over Mariupol, in which thousands of civilians were killed as Russian forces bombarded the besieged city for weeks during the spring of 2022.

According to Russian sources, Gurtziyev had implemented “technical innovations” in missile targeting systems that significantly improved the accuracy of Russian airstrikes.

Kremlin-affiliated outlets claimed his methods were used in strikes on high-value targets, including what they allege was a supply depot belonging to Ukraine’s Azov Regiment.

However, Ukrainian prosecutors have labeled the Mariupol bombings as war crimes, citing deliberate strikes on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, residential areas, and shelters. These allegations may have made Gurtziyev a target for retribution.

In October 2024, Gurtziyev was appointed the first deputy mayor of Stavropol, following his military service.

Earlier, One of Russia’s most decorated military snipers was killed while fighting in Ukraine.

“On May 11, in the zone of the ‘special military operation,’ Senior Warrant Officer Vitaliy Mykolayovych Shapovalov, a reconnaissance sniper with Russian Army Special Forces, was killed in action,” Russian propagandists wrote in Telegram posts.

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