Russian General Injured in Border Skirmish with Ukraine

A general from the Russian army was gravely injured near the Ukrainian border, according to officials from his home republic of Dagestan, who confirmed earlier reports from Ukrainian military intelligence on Monday.

“A few days ago, our fellow countryman, Hero of Russia Esedulla Abachev, sustained serious injuries in one of the border regions,” wrote Sergei Melikov, the head of Dagestan, in a Telegram post.

“He is currently receiving care at one of the nation’s top military medical facilities, where doctors have reported his condition to be serious but stable,” Melikov stated.

Earlier reports from Ukrainian military intelligence indicated that 57-year-old Abachev underwent amputations of his arm and leg at a military hospital in the Moscow region after his convoy was attacked in the Kursk border area on the night between Saturday and Sunday.

Melikov did not address the amputations, nor did he specify where the attack took place or the hospital treating Abachev.

Ukraine asserted that at the time of the incident, Abachev was serving as the deputy commander of Russia’s “Sever” (North) military group. Reports from regional media in early 2024 noted his recent appointment as the deputy head of the newly established Leningrad Military District.

President Vladimir Putin honored Abachev with the Hero of Russia title in July 2022 for his involvement in the capture of the Ukrainian city of Lysychansk while he led the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People’s Militia.