Senior Russian-appointed official in occupied Kherson 'killed in road accident' - CNN

Ukraine CNN  — 

One of the astir senior Russian-appointed officials successful occupied Ukrainian territory has been killed, Russian officials and authorities quality agencies said Wednesday.

The Russian-appointed lawman caput of the Kherson region successful confederate Ukraine, Kirill Stremousov, died successful a roadworthy accident, the property caput of the caput of the portion said, according to Russian quality bureau TASS.

Stremousov was killed successful an mishap connected the road betwixt Kherson and Armyansk successful Crimea, the Russian authorities media institution Vesti (VGTRK) reported, citing the region’s wellness minister. Stremousov was 45 years old, according to Vesti.

His decease was besides announced by the Russian-appointed “head” of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, who wrote successful a connection connected Telegram: “It is precise hard for maine to accidental that Kirill Stremousov died today. He died connected the territory of the Kherson region, moving successful a car that got into an accident”.

Stremousov, a Ukrainian who was speedy to broadside with the Russian concern erstwhile Kherson fell aboriginal successful the invasion, had go 1 of the astir vocal and outspoken of Russian appointees.

As lawman caput of the Kherson portion subject administration, Stremousov was salient successful organizing and supporting the referendum connected Kherson’s amerciable annexation by Russia and much precocious had been the driving unit successful the evacuation of civilians from the westbound slope successful Kherson, arsenic Ukrainian forces pushed toward the Dnipro River.

On Tuesday, Stremousov said: “Most residents who decided to enactment successful Kherson are lone present opening to recognize the gravity of the concern and my warnings.”

Stremousov often took to Telegram to picture Ukrainian officials and forces arsenic “Nazis” and “fascists.” But helium was besides captious of missteps by the Russian military. He had blamed the subject setbacks successful Kherson connected “incompetent commanders” who had not been held accountable for their mistakes.

Earlier Wednesday, Stremousov had published a video connected the concern connected the beforehand lines, peculiarly connected the warring astir Snihurivska northbound of Kherson city, wherever determination are reports that Ukrainian forces person breached done Russian defenses.

Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russian-appointed politician of Sevastopol successful occupied Crimea, said Stremousov “was a existent patriot of Russia, brave and courageous, successful immoderate concern helium remained successful interaction and considered it his work to pass the residents of the Kherson portion astir what was happening. This was the lawsuit this greeting arsenic well. This is an irreparable loss.”

A Ukrainian authoritative expressed skepticism astir the reports. Yuriy Sobolevskyi, archetypal lawman caput of the Ukrainian Kherson determination council, said connected Telegram: “Regarding the accusation dispersed by the occupiers and Russian sources regarding the decease of collaborator Kirill Stremousov successful an accident, truthful acold we tin neither corroborate nor contradict the information. It whitethorn beryllium true, oregon it whitethorn beryllium staged.”

Stremousov had antecedently had a checkered vocation arsenic a section person successful Kherson, and was progressive successful respective fracas. He besides dabbled successful paganism and a peculiar signifier of yoga. Video from 2017 showed him swinging his babe girl astir his caput by her feet.

Stremousov is not the archetypal Russian-backed person to dice successful murky circumstances. Alexander Zakharchenko, the person of Russian-backed separatists, was killed successful the bombing of a café successful 2018. Several separatist commanders were besides killed successful a drawstring of assassinations earlier Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine that went unsolved.

Russian and separatist leaders blamed Ukraine for the killings. Ukrainian officials successful crook claimed the Moscow was eliminating troublesome section leaders. Several salient separatists had reputed links to organized transgression and immoderate observers suggested their deaths whitethorn person besides been score-settling by transgression groups.

Kherson has been the absorption of aggravated warring successful caller months and a conflict for power of the metropolis of Kherson, the superior of the region, whitethorn beryllium looming. Ukrainian forces person managed to recapture a important swathe of territory successful the portion that Russian troops had seized soon aft the penetration began successful precocious February.

While Kyiv strung unneurotic a bid of astonishing victories successful aboriginal October successful the region, advancement has slowed arsenic Ukrainian forces borderline person to the determination capital, the metropolis of Kherson.

Reports of Stremousov’s decease comes arsenic Russian forces person destroyed bridges crossed occupied parts of Ukraine’s Kherson portion westbound of the Dnipro River, a section Ukrainian authoritative and Russian subject analysts connected Telegram reported Wednesday.

Serhii Khlan, a subordinate of the Ukrainian Kherson determination council, besides said that Russian forces look to beryllium staging a tactical retreat from immoderate frontline villages, to “slow down the onslaught of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” CNN cannot independently corroborate his claims.