Who is Oleg Mityaev? Fourth Russian General Allegedly Killed in Ukraine

A fourth Russian general has been killed in fighting in Ukraine, according to reports on Tuesday.

Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko announced the death of Major General Oleg Mityaev on Telegram, sharing a photo of a person he said was the officer.

Mityaev, 46, was in command of the 150th motorized rifle division, which he had led since 2020. Before the invasion of Ukraine, the division was deployed in the Rostov region, at the border with Ukraine.

Mityaev had previously fought in Syria and in 2016 had been appointed as commander of a Russian military base in Tajikistan.

Ukraine's far-right Azov Regiment claims to have killed the general. Russia hasn't confirmed the death.

In his address on Tuesday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the death of another Russian general, but failed to name the officer.

Mityaev is reportedly the fourth Russian general killed by Ukrainian forces in 20 days. It is estimated that 20 generals are deployed in Ukraine to command Russian troops through the invasion.

In only one week in early March, Ukraine reported the deaths of Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky, commanding general of the Russian 7th Airborne Division and deputy commander of the 41st Army, and Major General Vitaly Gerasimov, chief of staff of the 41st Army.

Sukhovetsky was killed by sniper fire, while Gerasimov was shot dead outside the eastern city of Kharkiv, according to Ukrainian reports. The death of Sukhovetsky was confirmed in a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 3.

Major General Andrei Kolesnikov, commander of the 29th Combined Arms Army, was killed on March 11, Ukraine said.

U.S. estimates put the number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine since the invasion began at between 5,000 and 6,000. Ukrainian armed forces say over 13,800 Russian troops have been killed since the beginning of the war on February 24, as reported by The Kyiv Independent.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in the besieged port of Mariupol, with 20,000 people having fled the city in private cars, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

Mariupol has been under almost constant bombardment for the past two weeks, as the port is considered to be a key target for Russian forces. Its residents and city officials report that the city has been left with no water or electricity and no means to communicate with the outside world. Food reserves are running low, city officials have reported.

Ukrainian officials estimate that 2,000 people have been killed there, and at least 200,000 would benefit from human corridors allowing them to evacuate the city.

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