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Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov reported killed in occupied Berdyansk, marking highest-ranking Russian casualty since start of war

The Insider

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In the morning of July 11, Petro Andryushchenko, an advisor to Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko, reported the death of Russian Lieutenant-General Oleg Tsokov near occupied Berdyansk. Later in the evening, Russian pro-war channels began verifying and affirming the report.

The channel Zapiski Veterana (“Notes of a Veteran”) wrote about the quality of Ukraine’s intelligence, which is significantly superior to the Russian intelligence: “As sad as it is to admit it, but the quality of intelligence of the enemy is higher than ours. [...] As a result of a missile strike on the reserve CP [command post] in Berdyansk, General Tsokov was killed.”

Another channel, Military Informant (“Voenny Osvedomitel”) wrote that “a strike by Storm Shadow cruise missiles killed the deputy commander of the Southern Military District, Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov.”

Andryushchenko reported that the nighttime missile strike hit the Dyuna Hotel, which housed the Russian military leadership. He claimed that the building is now completely destroyed, and the area around it has been cordoned off. The channel Berdyansk Seichas (“Berdyansk Now”) reported a series of loud explosions at 3:30 in the morning and observed the activation of Russian air defense systems.

According to official sources, five Russian major-generals and one 1st-rank captain have been confirmed dead since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. If Tsokov's death is verified, he will hold the highest rank among the Russian command casualties in the war.