Russian war veteran who led Mariupol air attacks killed in Stavropol explosion

A Russian commander who participated in the siege of Mariupol was killed in an explosion in the southern Russian city of Stavropol in the early hours of Thursday, local authorities have reported.

Zaur Gurtsiev, who worked as deputy mayor of Stavropol after participating in a federal programme offering career advancement to war veterans, was killed in an “overnight incident”, regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov said, adding that the authorities were “considering all versions, including a terrorist attack involving Ukrainian Nazis”.

According to Stavropol Mayor Ivan Ulyanchenko, two men were killed in an explosion in a residential area in the northern part of the city. The second man was identified by the Baza Telegram channel as Nikita Penkov, a former policeman from Stavropol.

The cause of the explosion has not been confirmed by official sources. Baza suggested that Penkov could have worn an explosive device which detonated after he met with Gurtsiev.

While Baza sources claim that Penkov may not have known about the explosive device, which was activated remotely, Telegram channel Mash reported that Penkov had rented an apartment in the same building as Gurtsiev 15 days ago and appeared to have been monitoring his movements.

A professional soldier, Gurtsiev is reported to have led air raids on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, which was occupied by Russian forces in May 2022 after a months-long siege in which thousands of civilians were killed in indiscriminate air attacks.

Among the targets hit during the Russian bombing of Mariupol was the Mariupol Drama Theatre where up to 600 civilians taking shelter lost their lives, according to estimates by The Associated Press.

After being discharged, Gurtsiev joined the Time of Heroes programme, aimed at offering government jobs to Ukraine war veterans. The programme’s website says he “introduced innovations in missile guidance technology, which greatly improved accuracy and effectiveness”.