Several Russian commanders were killed in September

September has been a difficult month for high-ranking military authorities in the Russian  Armed Forces. At least three key commanders have been killed according to sources. 

Colonel Andrei Kondrashkin was the commander of the 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade and was allegedly killed while fighting in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic. 

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Alexander Khodakovsk is the deputy national guard commander of the breakaway area and he revealed Kondrashkin’s death in a Telegram post without giving any details on it according to The Moscow Times.

Photo Credit: Telegram @aleksandr_skif

However, Yurii Butusov, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian Censor.net, news portal reported on Telegram that Kondrashkin died while repelling an attack somewhere near Bakhmut. 

Bustuov also reported that a large number of command personnel were killed during the ongoing battles near Andriivka from the Russian 57th, 72nd, and 85th motorized rifles. 

Kondrashkin and the 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade had taken part in all major battles of the war according to Butusov, who also said the colonel’s death was an achievement. 

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247th Guards Air Assault Regiment commander Vasily Popov is another leader recently killed according to Russian reports that were cited by the Institute for the Study of War and Britain's Ministry of Defence also confirmed Popov's death in it's September 23rd war update.

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Newsweek reported Popov was only 38 years old when he was killed as per information from Mediazona. If confirmed, Popov would be the second commander of his unit killed. 

Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky was the former commander of the 247th and he was killed in southern Ukraine back in the spring of 2022 according to a report from Newsweek. 

Ukrainska Pravda reported unnamed superior officers were killed and wounded during a Ukrainian drone attack launched against the Khalio airfield in Russia on September 24. 

Citing Ukraine's Defense Intelligence as its source, Ukrianska Pravda claimed that the commander of the 14th Zhdanov Guards Fighter Regiment was either killed or injured. 

Also killed or injured in the attack was the commander of the 14th Air Regiment’s deputy as well as a group of pilots, airfield workers, and a representative of military intelligence. 

The most important leader eliminated this month may be Viktor Sokolov, commander of the Black Sea Fleet commander; however, video footage of his attendance at a defense meeting contradicts Ukrainian claims that he was killed. 

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BBC News reported that it was not clear if the video footage of Solokov showing him in a large white chair during the defense meeting was filmed beforehand. But BBC did say that Kyiv has yet to name the admiral by name in the casualty figures. 

If Sokolov is still alive, the news could cast doubt on Ukraine’s claim that 33 other naval officers were eliminated in Kyiv’s strike against the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet. 

Despite being at war for more than 19 months, things only seem to be getting worse for Russia as attacks against the occupied territories and inside of Russia itself seem to be escalating. New technologies have made it easier for Ukraine to strike Russia, which is exactly what Kyiv is doing.  

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons: By Фёдоров Мирон Яныч - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=138108501