On the morning of September 3, an assassination attempt was made in Engels, Saratov region, against Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Long-Range Aviation.

Axar.az reports, citing Russian media, that an unidentified assailant opened fire on him in the village of Probuzhdeniye before fleeing the scene. Varpakhovich sustained serious gunshot wounds and was hospitalized.

The Mash Telegram channel was the first to report the attack, without naming the victim. The assassination attempt against the senior officer was later confirmed by pro-war channels linked to the Russian military and security forces.

According to their reports, the attacker arrived at a private residence on a motorcycle, with his face concealed by a helmet. One bullet struck the officer in the torso and another hit him in the face. The driver who was with him was also wounded but managed to move out of the line of fire and later called an ambulance.