Panic in Kremlin as top army officer killed in ‘road accident’ amid fears of Putin purge | World | News
A senior Russian commander died in a suspicious traffic accident, while three more people lost their lives. His death came a week after a Kremlin general died mysteriously suddenly on Christmas Day.
The incident took place on Sunday near Alchevsk in Ukraine’s occupied Luhansk region. Colonel Erik Selimov was traveling with his bodyguards when his vehicle reportedly collided with a truck carrying soldiers from the 88th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade. According to local media reports, the Colonel and three soldiers died at the scene of the accident.
Two soldiers from the 88th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade are in serious condition, with doctors struggling to save their lives.
Selimov was the commander of the 136th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade deployed in Ukraine.
His death was confirmed in a statement by Dagestan governor Sergey Melikov.
Melikov said: “Erik Selimov was known as a far-sighted strategist, a fair and principled officer of high moral character. Colleagues noticed his professionalism and attentive attitude towards his subordinates.”
He started his career as a platoon commander and later rose to battalion commander. Selimov was also awarded various awards for his courage and heroism in the field of duty.
His death is just the latest in a series of mysterious and sudden deaths among Russia’s elite officer corps.
Colonel General Yuri Sadovenko, 56, died suddenly of a heart attack on Christmas Day, despite previously being in good health.
The former deputy defense minister was a close ally of Sergey Shoigu, who became the boss of the Russian Defense Ministry before his dismissal in May 2024.
His death followed that of 44-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Orlov. Orlov, nicknamed “The Spaniard”, commanded Putin’s notorious football hooligan battalion that fought in Ukraine, including hotspots such as Bakhmut.
Rumors are circulating in Moscow that the Colonel was killed by Russian special services while at his home in occupied Crimea.
Independent Russian media channel Astra showed CCTV footage filmed near the officer’s home, showing vans apparently containing secret service agents arriving at his home. After a short while, flashes of light can be seen illuminating the darkness, possibly from gunfire.
