Ukraine’s intelligence services have claimed responsibility for the assassination of Russian missile scientist Mikhail Shatsky in a Moscow suburb, along with a car bombing in occupied Donetsk that killed Sergei Yevsyukov, a pro-Russian prison governor. These are the latest in a series of high-profile “liquidations” targeting individuals linked to Russian military and political operations.
Shatsky, Deputy Chief Designer at the Mars Design Bureau, was reportedly shot dead in a forest park near Kotelniki. He was instrumental in modernizing Russia’s Kh-59 land-attack cruise missile into the newer Kh-69, which analysts compare to Western-designed Storm Shadow missiles. Ukrainian state media described the operation as part of Kyiv’s strategy to eliminate those supporting Russian military aggression. Russian media has not confirmed the killing, though alleged footage of Shatsky’s body has circulated online.
Days earlier, Yevsyukov, accused of war crimes during his tenure as a prison governor in Donetsk, was killed by explosives placed under his SUV. Ukrainian authorities claim he oversaw torture in his prison and later attempted to destroy evidence. His wife survived the bombing but lost a leg.
These assassinations follow a pattern of strikes by Ukrainian agents targeting Russian collaborators, military officials, and propagandists. Recent incidents include:
- October 2024: Nikita Klenkov, a Russian special operations officer, shot in Moscow.
- October 2024: Andriy Korotkyy, security head at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, killed by car bomb.
- April 2024: A pro-Moscow education official in Luhansk died in a car bombing.
- November-December 2023: Ukrainian lawmakers-turned-collaborators Ilya Kiva and Mikhail Filiponenko were assassinated for alleged war crimes and propaganda.
Ukraine’s intelligence methods include modern tools, such as tracking targets via fitness apps, as in the case of Russian submarine commander Stanislav Rzhitsky. These targeted actions reflect a concerted effort to dismantle Russian influence and punish collaborators in occupied territories.
