Lt. Gen. Yakov Rezantsev is the seventh general Ukraine has claimed to have killed since Russia invaded. Oleksiy Arestovych said Rezantsev had died in heavy fighting at Chornobaivka airport, a location near Kherson used by Russian forces as a base. The general is said to have been the commander of Russia’s 49th Combined Arms Army. Days after the invasion began, Rezanchev was confident that the Russian campaign would be successful within hours, according to a Russian military spy. Ukrainian official says General Rezanchev dies near Kherson (Oleksiy Arestovych) In a call posted on social media by the military, a Russian soldier is heard complaining to his superior: “Here? Rezanchev is in charge. “We only met him once since we got here Ή It was the 4th day and you know what he said? Receive this: “It is no secret that this operation will end in a few hours.” Rezanchev is the seventh general Ukraine has claimed to have killed so far. Several high-ranking Russian military officials are said to have been killed on different fronts in the Moscow attack. Western officials said they believed Ukraine had killed six generals. Russia has confirmed the death of one. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a member of Volodymyr Zelensky’s inner circle said Ukraine has a military intelligence group dedicated to targeting Russia’s military elite. “They are looking for high-profile generals, pilots, artillery commanders,” they told the newspaper. Rezanchev is the second general to claim to have been killed in Tsornombaivka, after Lt. Gen. Andrei Mordvitchov was reportedly killed at the airport on the outskirts of Hersonissos last Saturday. Protesters shout “go home” in Russian military vehicles at a pro-Ukraine rally in Kherson on Monday (Reuters) Ukraine said on Saturday that its forces were ready to retake Kherson, the first major city to fall to Russia. The New York Times reported Tuesday that Russia appears to have withdrawn most of its helicopters from Chornobaivka as Ukrainian troops pushed for their lost ground. (PA) Further north, Ukraine has forced Russian troops to withdraw from some cities around Kyiv in recent days, according to the UK Department of Defense. Russia said Friday it would turn to Donbass in eastern Ukraine. US officials have said that Moscow may have stopped trying to occupy Kyiv.
