A Russian deputy mayor and prominent veteran of Moscow’s war in Ukraine died in an explosion in Stavropol city, media reports said on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Zaur Aleksandrovich Gurtsiev (34).
“As part of the investigation, the scene of the incident is being inspected, examinations are being ordered, and the necessary investigative actions are being carried out to establish all the circumstances of the incident,” Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement, as quoted by CNN.
A video footage has now gone viral online showing the moment when the explosion occurred.
In the video, the explosion could be seen occurring while the Russian official was meeting with an individual.
Regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov wrote on Telegram that “all versions are being considered, including the organization of a terrorist attack” involving Ukraine, reported CNN.
New wave of Russian attacks
A glimmer of hope for peace in Ukraine has been overshadowed by a devastating new wave of Russian attacks, UN officials told the Security Council on Thursday, warning of soaring civilian casualties and a worsening humanitarian crisis that could derail a diplomatic end to the war.
“The longer the war continues, the longer its regional and global impacts will be felt, and the more difficult it will be to find a peaceful resolution,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
She recalled the adoption of Security Council resolution 2774 in February – the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – which sparked a sense of optimism for a diplomatic solution.
That has since been replaced by a sense of international frustration – and more suffering in Ukraine following the surge in attacks.
“The hope that the parties will be able to sit down and negotiate is still alive, but just barely,” DiCarlo warned.
The weekend’s escalation has been described as the largest wave of attacks, with record numbers of long-range missiles and drones killing and injuring dozens of civilians and damaging homes and infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and other cities.
Russian regions bordering Ukraine also reported civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nine civilians were killed and 117 injured by Ukrainian strikes between 19 and 25 May, with a further 17 civilians killed and over 100 injured the week before.
“The United Nations is not able to verify these reports. However, if confirmed, these figures serve as a vivid reminder of the rising civilian toll of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most egregiously in Ukraine, but also increasingly in the Russian Federation itself,” DiCarlo said.
International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, she stressed.
“They are unacceptable and indefensible – wherever they occur – and must stop immediately.”
