The chief of staff of a Russian nuclear bomber squadron accused of massacring civilians in Ukraine has been found dead.
Dmitry Golenkov, 45, was a pilot of the 52nd heavy bomber regiment which is based at Shaykova airfield.
The airbase is home to a squadron of Tu-22M3s, which can carry up to 24,000 kilograms [52,910 pounds] of various munitions, such as free-fall bombs, guided missiles, and nuclear warheads.
The Russian pilot was found dead in an apple orchard in the village of Suponevo near Bryansk.
Golenkov sustained multiple injuries to his head, which are believed to have been caused by a hammer.
Gruesome images of his body lying face down on the ground were released by Ukraine‘s intelligence services to their social media channels.
In a brief statement accompanying the images, they wrote: “In Russia, a Russian pilot was eliminated – his head was broken with a ‘hammer of justice’.”
Ukraine‘s military intelligence named Golenkov as one of those responsible for a lethal Russian missile attack on the Amstor shopping centre in Kremenchuk in June 2022.
At the time of the attack, there were about 1,000 people in the shopping mall. As a result of the strike, 22 people died, and dozens were injured.
The pilot was also said to be involved in an attack on a residential building in Dnipro on January 14, 2023.
A Kh-22 cruise missile struck a block of flats in the city, killing 45 people, including six children. Another 79 people were injured.
Golenkov reacted furiously when contacted by a Ukrainian journalist who wanted to know whether he felt any guilt for killing so many innocent civilians in Dnipro.
Initially, he tried to deny any responsibility, instead claiming Ukraine and Crimea belonged to Russia.
Pressed by Irina Dolinina from Important Stories, whether he regretted killing civilians, he lost his temper.
“What the hell, did I push the button myself or was I even in this plane?,” he shouted. “Crimea is still ours and everything else is ours. What do you want from us?”
Russia has indiscriminately targeted cities and towns across Ukraine with its ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as glide bombs and drones.
According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, by the end of this August, there were 36,357 civilian casualties – that is more than the population of Windsor in the UK.
This includes 11,743 who were killed, around 600 of whom were children.