Four senior Russian officers killed in Ukrainian strike on Donetsk — ASTRA PHOTO

Four senior Russian Defence Ministry officers were killed in a Ukrainian strike on Donetsk on August 26, according to the ASTRA Telegram channel.

The strike reportedly hit a building near the Donetsk City shopping mall. The Izvestia newspaper initially reported that 10 people had been killed, but later deleted the publication.

“At the time, a child (a girl born in 2016) and a woman born in 1973 sustained moderate injuries, while a teenage girl born in 2010, a woman born in 1947, and men born in 1987, 1981, 1977 and 1949 were injured,” Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said on social media. He claimed that eight people had been injured.

Ukrainian sources reported that Russian military personnel were targeted in the strikes, with four officers killed as a result.

On September 11, the death of Viktor Basenko in the August 26 strike became known after his daughter, Natalia Dashieva, announced his death.

“On August 26, while performing his military duty, our most beloved, most dear and closest person, a true Officer, our daddy, Basenko Viktor Vladimirovich, was killed. He was only 46 years old,” she wrote.

Basenko served as chief of staff for logistics support of the 25th Combined Arms Army of Russia’s Central Military District.

On September 7, a local community in Russia’s Chuvash Republic published a notice announcing a farewell ceremony for Russian Armed Forces Lieutenant Colonel Denis Pavlov, who had been participating in the so-called “special military operation” since February 22, 2022.

“He served in military units in the Leningrad and Moscow regions. Since February 22, 2022, he participated in the special military operation zone. He was awarded the Order of Courage (twice), the medals ‘For Distinction in Military Service,’ 2nd and 3rd class, the Alexander Suvorov Medal and others. He died on August 26, 2026, in Donetsk,” the notice said.

The death of Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Moiseenko, an officer of Russia’s 41st Army, was also reported by his wife, Natalia Mzhelskaya.

“On August 26, my husband, Moiseenko  Andrei Viktorovich, tragically died during the massive attack on Donetsk. Many people in our city and region knew and respected him. I will publish information about the farewell ceremony later,” Natalia wrote.

However, no information about the officer’s farewell ceremony was subsequently published, while the original post on VK was deleted.

Ukrainian media also reported that Lieutenant Colonel Artem Akimov of Russia’s 41st Guards Combined Arms Army was killed in the strike.

ASTRA said it had confirmed the deaths of all four officers on the day of the Ukrainian strike on Donetsk, August 26.

By Jeyhun Aghazada