Russian Air Commander Killed in Grenade explosion (+VIDEO)
Stavropol Mayor Ivan Ulyanchenko confirmed the death of his first deputy, Major Zaur Gurtsiyev, 34, a veteran of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow Times reports.
Stavropol region Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said Gurtsiyev died in a “nighttime incident.” State media initially reported that two people were killed in a grenade blast near a residential area.
“All leads are being followed, including the possibility of a terrorist attack organized by Ukrainian Nazis,” Vladimirov wrote on Telegram.
Surveillance footage shared by Telegram channels linked to Russian law enforcement agencies appeared to show an explosion after one man approached another near a parking lot. The channels alleged that one of the men in the video was Gurtsiyev, though officials have not commented on the claim.
Law enforcement authorities launched a criminal investigation into murder and illegal weapons trafficking. Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, ordered regional officials to report on the probe’s progress.
According to the Time of Heroes website — a state initiative for training war veterans for civilian government roles — Gurtsiyev oversaw air operations during Russia’s 2022 siege of the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. His biography states he “implemented best practices in missile guidance technology,” improving strike “accuracy and efficiency.”
Born in Vladikavkaz in 1990, Gurtsiyev joined the Russian Armed Forces in 2007 and graduated from the S. M. Budyonny Military Academy of the Signal Corps in 2012. He received the Order of Courage and other military honors.
Gurtsiyev became Stavropol’s first deputy mayor in September 2024.
Source: Marzieh Rahmani