US Edition
Ukraine major killed by bomb hidden in his birthday present
Major Gennadiy Chastiakov's likely assassination is believed to be a rare success for Russian special forces
A close adviser to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army was killed by a bomb hidden in a birthday gift in a likely assassination.
“Under tragic circumstances, my assistant and close friend, Major Gennadiy Chastiakov, was killed... on his birthday,” wrote, General Valery Zaluzhny the Ukrainian commander, saying that an “unknown explosive device detonated in one of his gifts.”
The death of Mr Chastiakov is likely a rare success for possible Russian special forces or spies operating behind enemy lines.
It came after 19 Ukrainian soldiers were killed by a Russian missile strike on an awards ceremony close to the war’s front lines, likely identified using leaked intelligence.
Ukraine on Monday opened a criminal investigation into the deaths.
It is a fresh blow for Ukraine which had been taking the battle to Russia, inflicting damage with a wave of drone strikes on Moscow in May.
The assassination of Major Chastiakov came days after Gen Zaluzhny admitted that the counteroffensive against Russia had stalled.
Hopes had been high that the Russians could be driven back.
But in five months, despite heavy backing from the West, the Russians had only been pushed back 10 miles.
Writing in The Economist he admitted there will be no swift breakthrough.
“Just like in the First World War we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate,” the general told The Economist.
His pessimistic assessment came at a time when there was growing resistance in Washington to providing more support.
While President Joe Biden and the Senate remain committed to sending more aid, the House of Representatives is baulking at the idea.
And resistance has increased with the election of Mike Johnson as House speaker, who has only proposed sending aid to Israel.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Donald Trump to visit the country.
The former president has claimed he could end the war in 24 hours.
“If he can come here, I will need 24 minutes – yes, 24 minutes… to explain to President Trump that he can’t manage this war. He can’t bring peace because of Putin,” he said on NBC’s Meet the Press.