According to Russian officials, Vasily Marzoyev, a lieutenant in Russia’s Armed Forces and son of a senior Russian commander charged with war crimes, died “while carrying out a combat mission” as part of Russia’s invasion force, the head of North Ossetia Sergei Menyaylo confirmed in a Friday post on Telegram.
Menyaylo added: “From childhood, Vasily Marzoev decided to follow in the footsteps of his elders and devote his life to military service. A loving son, a courageous soldier, a loyal friend – this is how his family, colleagues, and all who knew him will remember him.”
He commanded a reconnaissance platoon of the 108th Airborne Regiment and is said to have been involved in combat operations against Ukraine over an extended period. Russian President Vladimir Putin posthumously awarded him the title of “Hero of Russia.”
Marzoyev was the son of Lt. Gen. Arkady Marzoyev, commander of Russia’s 18th Combined Arms Army, who faces charges of committing war crimes against Ukraine for ordering attacks on residential areas, schools, hospitals, and critical infrastructure
He is among five senior Russian officers charged in absentia by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) for ordering the bombardment of civilian targets in the city and region of Kherson between January and October 2023.
According to investigators, at least 113 civilians – including three children – were killed and more than 280 wounded in the attacks he masterminded.
Last month Kyiv Post reported that Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) operatives carried out a cross-border attack that killed a senior officer of Russia’s Rosgvardiya (National Guard) and two other soldiers in the Stavropol region, that borders the North Caucasus.
HUR, said the Sept. 27 attack was conducted in coordination with the Caucasus Liberation Movement, a group opposing Moscow’s control over the region.
According to the statement, the ambush took place near the settlement of Tambukan in Stavropol Krai, about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) southeast of Moscow and 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the border with Georgia.
HUR said a Rosgvardiya lieutenant colonel, identified as the commander of the “Avangard” special unit was killed along with his driver and assistant.