{"id":19837697,"date":"2026-09-03T21:53:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T19:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T21:58:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T19:58:51","slug":"nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Nikolai Varpakhovich: Russian Bomber General Shot Near Engels"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\r\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\r\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\r\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\r\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\r\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:38px;padding:0 14px;font-size:13px}\r\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta svg{width:16px;height:16px}\r\n.mfsh-overlay{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(15,23,32,.55);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;justify-content:center;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s}\r\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\r\n.mfsh-sheet{width:100%;max-width:520px;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;padding:18px 20px 28px;transform:translateY(24px);transition:transform .22s;box-shadow:0 12px 32px rgba(15,23,32,.25);font-family:inherit;max-height:92vh;overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\r\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open .mfsh-sheet{transform:none}\r\n@media (min-width:640px){.mfsh-overlay{align-items:center}.mfsh-sheet{padding-bottom:20px}}\r\n.mfsh-head{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin:0 0 14px}\r\n.mfsh-head strong{font-size:18px;font-weight:800;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;line-height:1}\r\n.mfsh-head strong svg{width:18px;height:18px}\r\n.mfsh-close{background:none;border:0;padding:6px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;color:#0F1720;line-height:0;box-shadow:none}\r\n.mfsh-close svg{width:18px;height:18px}\r\n.mfsh-preview{display:grid;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr;gap:12px;border:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:#F5F7FB;padding:10px;margin:0 0 12px;align-items:center}\r\n.mfsh-preview img{width:96px;height:72px;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0}\r\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-kicker{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5C91FF;margin:0 0 4px;line-height:1.2}\r\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-title{font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;margin:0;display:block}\r\n.mfsh-list{display:grid;margin:0;padding:0}\r\n.mfsh-item{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;height:50px;width:100%;border:0;border-top:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:none;padding:0 4px;margin:0;text-align:left;font-family:inherit;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;color:#0F1720;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;line-height:1}\r\n.mfsh-item:hover,.mfsh-item:focus-visible{background:#F5F7FB;outline:none}\r\n.mfsh-item svg{width:20px;height:20px;color:#5C91FF;flex-shrink:0;display:block}\r\n.mfsh-item small{margin-left:auto;color:#5B6674;font-weight:500;font-size:12px}\r\n.mfsh-item.mfsh-done svg{color:#1E9E5A}\r\n.mfsh-toast{position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:32px;transform:translate(-50%,10px);background:#0F1720;color:#fff;padding:10px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:13px;font-family:inherit;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s,transform .2s;z-index:100000}\r\n.mfsh-toast.mfsh-show{opacity:1;transform:translate(-50%,0)}\r\n@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mfsh-overlay,.mfsh-sheet,.mfsh-toast,.mfsh-trigger{transition:none}}\r\n<\/style>\r\n<svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-share\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M12 3v12M8 7l4-4 4 4M5 12v8h14v-8\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"m5 5 14 14M19 5 5 19\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-wa\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 2a10 10 0 0 0-8.6 15.1L2 22l5.1-1.3A10 10 0 1 0 12 2Zm0 1.8a8.2 8.2 0 1 1-4.2 15.3l-.3-.2-3 .8.8-2.9-.2-.3A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 12 3.8Zm-3 4.4c-.2 0-.5 0-.8.4-.3.3-1 1-1 2.4s1 2.8 1.2 3c.1.2 2 3.2 5 4.4 2.5 1 3 .8 3.5.7.5 0 1.7-.7 2-1.4.2-.7.2-1.3.1-1.4l-.5-.3-2-1c-.3 0-.5-.1-.7.2l-.9 1.1c-.2.2-.3.2-.6.1-.3-.2-1.3-.5-2.4-1.5-.9-.8-1.5-1.8-1.7-2-.2-.4 0-.5.2-.7l.4-.5.3-.5v-.5l-.9-2.2c-.2-.5-.4-.5-.6-.5H9Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-x\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.8 3h3l-6.7 7.7L22 21h-6.2l-4.8-6.3L5.4 21h-3l7.2-8.2L2 3h6.3l4.4 5.8L17.8 3Zm-1.1 16.2h1.7L7.4 4.7H5.6l11.1 14.5Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-fb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M13.5 22v-8h2.7l.4-3.2h-3.1V8.8c0-.9.3-1.6 1.6-1.6h1.7V4.4c-.3 0-1.3-.1-2.5-.1-2.5 0-4.1 1.5-4.1 4.2v2.3H7.4V14h2.8v8h3.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-li\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 8.5H3V21h3.5V8.5ZM4.8 3a2 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0-4ZM21 13.4c0-3.4-1.8-5.2-4.5-5.2-1.6 0-2.7.8-3.2 1.7V8.5H9.9V21h3.4v-6.4c0-1.7.6-2.8 2.1-2.8 1.4 0 2 1 2 2.8V21H21v-7.6Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-rd\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M22 12.1a2.4 2.4 0 0 0-4.1-1.7 11.7 11.7 0 0 0-5.5-1.7l1-4.5 3.1.7a1.7 1.7 0 1 0 .2-1l-3.6-.8a.5.5 0 0 0-.6.4l-1.1 5.2a11.8 11.8 0 0 0-5.8 1.7A2.4 2.4 0 1 0 3 14.3v.5c0 3.4 4 6.2 9 6.2s9-2.8 9-6.2v-.5a2.4 2.4 0 0 0 1-2.2ZM7.5 13.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 3.4 0 1.7 1.7 0 0 1-3.4 0Zm8.9 4.5c-1.2 1.2-3.4 1.3-4.4 1.3s-3.3-.1-4.4-1.3a.5.5 0 0 1 .7-.7c.7.8 2.4 1 3.7 1s2.9-.2 3.7-1a.5.5 0 0 1 .7.7Zm-.6-2.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 0-3.4 1.7 1.7 0 0 1 0 3.4Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-tg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.9 4.6 18.7 19.9c-.2 1-.9 1.3-1.7.8l-4.9-3.6-2.3 2.3c-.3.3-.5.5-1 .5l.4-5 9-8.2c.4-.3-.1-.5-.6-.2L6.4 13.5 1.6 12c-1-.3-1.1-1 .2-1.5l18.8-7.2c.9-.3 1.6.2 1.3 1.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-mail\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"M3 6h18v12H3z\"\/><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"m3 7 9 6 9-6\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-link\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M10 14a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 0l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-5.7-5.7l-1.5 1.5M14 10a4 4 0 0 0-5.7 0l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 5.7l1.5-1.5\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-more\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"19\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n<\/svg>\r\n<span class=\"mfsh-top-slot\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger\" data-mfsh-placement=\"top\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button><\/span>\r\n<script>\r\n(function(){\r\n  if (window.__mfsh) return; window.__mfsh = true;\r\n  var SECTION = 'afterburner';\r\n  function meta(p){ var m=document.querySelector('meta[property=\"'+p+'\"]'); return m ? m.getAttribute('content') : ''; }\r\n  function pageUrl(){ var c=document.querySelector('link[rel=\"canonical\"]'); return (c && c.href) || (location.origin + location.pathname); }\r\n  function pageTitle(){ var h=document.querySelector('h1.entry-title'); return (h && h.textContent.trim()) || meta('og:title') || document.title; }\r\n  function slug(){ return location.pathname.replace(\/\\\/+$\/,'').split('\/').pop() || 'home'; }\r\n  function kicker(){ var c=document.querySelector('.et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category tag\"], .et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category\"], a[rel=\"category tag\"]'); return 'Afterburner' + (c && c.textContent.trim() ? ' \u00b7 ' + c.textContent.trim() : ''); }\r\n  function shareUrl(ch, placement){ return pageUrl() + '?utm_source=share&utm_medium=' + ch + '&utm_campaign=' + SECTION + '&utm_content=sheet_' + placement; }\r\n  function track(ch, placement, extra){\r\n    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\r\n    var ev = { event:'share', share_channel:ch, share_variant:'sheet', share_placement:placement, page_section:SECTION, content_id:slug() };\r\n    if (extra) for (var k in extra) ev[k]=extra[k];\r\n    window.dataLayer.push(ev);\r\n  }\r\n  var CH = [\r\n    ['whatsapp','WhatsApp','mfsh-i-wa',''],\r\n    ['x','X','mfsh-i-x',''],\r\n    ['facebook','Facebook','mfsh-i-fb',''],\r\n    ['linkedin','LinkedIn','mfsh-i-li',''],\r\n    ['reddit','Reddit','mfsh-i-rd','r\/aviation, r\/WarplanePorn'],\r\n    ['telegram','Telegram','mfsh-i-tg',''],\r\n    ['email','Email','mfsh-i-mail',''],\r\n    ['copy','Copy link','mfsh-i-link',''],\r\n    ['native','More','mfsh-i-more','Instagram, Signal, AirDrop']\r\n  ];\r\n  var overlay, toastEl, toastT, placement = 'top';\r\n  function build(){\r\n    overlay = document.createElement('div'); overlay.className = 'mfsh-overlay'; overlay.setAttribute('role','dialog'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-modal','true'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-label','Share');\r\n    var img = meta('og:image');\r\n    var items = CH.filter(function(c){ return c[0] !== 'native' || !!navigator.share; }).map(function(c){\r\n      return '<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-item\" data-mfsh-ch=\"'+c[0]+'\"><svg><use href=\"#'+c[2]+'\"\/><\/svg>'+c[1]+(c[3]?'<small>'+c[3]+'<\/small>':'')+'<\/button>';\r\n    }).join('');\r\n    overlay.innerHTML = '<div class=\"mfsh-sheet\"><div class=\"mfsh-head\"><strong><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share<\/strong><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-close\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>'\r\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-preview\">' + (img ? '<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"'+img+'\" alt=\"\">' : '<span><\/span>') + '<div><div class=\"mfsh-kicker\">'+kicker()+'<\/div><span class=\"mfsh-title\">'+pageTitle()+'<\/span><\/div><\/div>'\r\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-list\">'+items+'<\/div><\/div>';\r\n    document.body.appendChild(overlay);\r\n    toastEl = document.createElement('div'); toastEl.className = 'mfsh-toast'; document.body.appendChild(toastEl);\r\n    overlay.addEventListener('click', function(e){\r\n      if (e.target === overlay || e.target.closest('.mfsh-close')) { close(); return; }\r\n      var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-item'); if (b) act(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-ch'), b);\r\n    });\r\n    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ if (e.key === 'Escape') close(); });\r\n  }\r\n  function open(p){ placement = p || 'top'; if (!overlay) build(); overlay.classList.add('mfsh-open'); track('open', placement); }\r\n  function close(){ if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('mfsh-open'); }\r\n  function toast(m){ toastEl.textContent = m; toastEl.classList.add('mfsh-show'); clearTimeout(toastT); toastT = setTimeout(function(){ toastEl.classList.remove('mfsh-show'); }, 1600); }\r\n  function act(ch, btn){\r\n    var url = shareUrl(ch, placement), t = pageTitle(), enc = encodeURIComponent;\r\n    if (ch === 'copy') {\r\n      var done = function(){ toast('Link copied'); btn.classList.add('mfsh-done'); setTimeout(function(){ btn.classList.remove('mfsh-done'); close(); }, 900); };\r\n      track(ch, placement);\r\n      if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) navigator.clipboard.writeText(url).then(done, done); else done();\r\n      return;\r\n    }\r\n    if (ch === 'native') {\r\n      track(ch, placement, { share_result:'opened' });\r\n      navigator.share({ title:t, text:t, url:url }).then(function(){ track('native', placement, { share_result:'completed' }); close(); }).catch(function(){});\r\n      return;\r\n    }\r\n    var target = {\r\n      whatsapp: 'https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=' + enc(t + ' ' + url),\r\n      x:        'https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=' + enc(t) + '&url=' + enc(url) + '&via=MiGFlug',\r\n      facebook: 'https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=' + enc(url),\r\n      linkedin: 'https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=' + enc(url),\r\n      reddit:   'https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=' + enc(url) + '&title=' + enc(t),\r\n      telegram: 'https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=' + enc(url) + '&text=' + enc(t),\r\n      email:    'mailto:?subject=' + enc(t) + '&body=' + enc('Thought you would like this, from Afterburner, MiGFlug\\'s magazine:\\n' + t + '\\n' + url)\r\n    }[ch];\r\n    track(ch, placement);\r\n    if (target) { if (ch === 'email') location.href = target; else window.open(target, '_blank', 'noopener,width=680,height=560'); }\r\n    close();\r\n  }\r\n  var mq = window.matchMedia('(min-width:981px)');\r\n  function place(){\r\n    var t = document.querySelector('.mfsh-trigger[data-mfsh-placement=\"top\"]'), slot = document.querySelector('.mfsh-top-slot');\r\n    var meta = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.et_pb_title_meta_container, .et_post_meta_wrapper .post-meta, .single .post-meta')).filter(function(m){ return m.offsetParent !== null; })[0];\r\n    if (!t || !slot) return;\r\n    if (meta && mq.matches) { meta.classList.add('mfsh-meta'); t.classList.add('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== meta) meta.appendChild(t); var a = meta.querySelector('a'); if (a) { var pr = document.createElement('span'); pr.style.cssText = 'display:inline-block;width:0;height:0;vertical-align:baseline'; a.appendChild(pr); var base = pr.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; pr.remove(); var fs = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(a).fontSize) || 14, mb = meta.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; t.style.bottom = Math.max(0, mb - (base + fs * 0.12)) + 'px'; } }\r\n    else { t.classList.remove('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== slot) slot.appendChild(t); }\r\n  }\r\n  if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', place); else place(); window.addEventListener('load', place); if (document.fonts && document.fonts.ready) document.fonts.ready.then(place); window.addEventListener('resize', place);\r\n  if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', place); else mq.addListener(place);\r\n  document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-trigger'); if (b) { e.preventDefault(); open(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-placement') || 'top'); } });\r\n})();\r\n<\/script><!-- \/mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At around seven in the morning on Thursday 3 September 2026, in the village of Probuzhdeniye on the edge of Engels in Russia&rsquo;s Saratov region, a man on a motorcycle with his face hidden by a helmet fired two pistol shots at a serviceman, then rode away. He has not been detained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That much is close to established. Almost everything else about this story &mdash; including the victim&rsquo;s name &mdash; comes from Telegram channels rather than from any Russian official body, and it is worth being careful about the difference.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia&rsquo;s Investigative Committee confirmed, via TASS, that it had opened a criminal case over an attempt on the life of a serviceman in Engels. It did not name him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;padding:20px;margin:24px 0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.8\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Reported victim:<\/strong> Maj. Gen. Nikolai Nikolaevich Varpakhovich, 56 &mdash; not officially confirmed<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Reported post:<\/strong> commander, 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, Russian Aerospace Forces<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Base:<\/strong> Engels-2, Saratov region &mdash; Russia&rsquo;s only operating Tu-160 base<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Date:<\/strong> morning of 3 September 2026<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Officially confirmed:<\/strong> a serviceman was shot; a criminal case was opened for attempted murder and illegal arms trafficking<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Arrests:<\/strong> none reported<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Russian MoD comment:<\/strong> none<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the Investigative Committee actually said<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Investigative Committee opened a case for attempted murder and illegal arms trafficking. In the translation carried by <em>The Moscow Times<\/em>, its statement noted that physical evidence had been recovered where the man fell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><em>&ldquo;Cartridge casings and bullets from a firearm were recovered at the scene&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Russia&rsquo;s Investigative Committee<\/strong> &mdash; Official statement, 3 September 2026, carried by TASS<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Kommersant<\/em> reported that Probuzhdeniye was cordoned off and that investigative teams from the Investigative Committee, the FSB and the police were on site. Its source in law enforcement described the victim only as the commander of an aircraft &mdash; noticeably vaguer than the general-officer claim now circulating everywhere else. The newspaper added that the man&rsquo;s identity had not been officially disclosed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Russian Defence Ministry has not commented at all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Where the name came from<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Telegram channel Mash broke the story without a name. Baza and SHOT followed. Two pro-war channels added the motorcycle and the helmet. A channel called Dosye Shpiona was the first to name Major General Nikolai Nikolaevich Varpakhovich and to describe his condition as critical. From there it travelled to Ukrainian outlets, then to CNN and Euronews.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meduza, which has spent years reading these channels, describes Mash, Baza and SHOT as Telegram channels with ties to Russia&rsquo;s security services. That is the useful frame: they are often first and often right, and they are not independent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most rigorous piece of reporting on the story so far is a note of caution. The Insider checked the Probuzhdeniye address given by Dosye Shpiona and found it to be an industrial zone rather than a private residence, while Varpakhovich&rsquo;s own documented links are to the city of Engels. The sourcing is not yet settled.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The accounts also disagree on something basic. Mash and two pro-war channels place the shooting outside a private house; SHOT, relayed by Meduza, and Euronews say he was leaving a shop. Telegram channels report that a bullet struck his torso and another his face, that his driver was wounded and called an ambulance, and that both bullets were removed before he was flown to Moscow. His condition is given as serious or critical. No source reports him dead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img data-opt-id=1334002871  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Gzgs.d0bc\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/tupolev-tu-160-blackjack-russian-bomber.jpg\" alt=\"A Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber of the Russian Aerospace Forces\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A Tu-160. Engels-2 is the only operating base for the type. Photo: Vitaly V. Kuzmin, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Engels matters<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Engels-2 sits about 14 kilometres east of Saratov, on the Volga. It is the sole operating base for Russia&rsquo;s Tu-160 fleet, and home to the 121st Guards and 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiments, flying Tu-160Ms and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/tu-95-bear\/\">Tu-95MS<\/a> respectively. Both sit under the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division &mdash; the formation Varpakhovich is reported to command.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are the aircraft that launch Kh-101 cruise missiles at Ukraine. The base has been struck repeatedly by Ukrainian drones since December 2022, and its bombers now shelter in hardened revetments.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img data-opt-id=1860790189  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:nK28.d0bd\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/engels-2-air-base-saratov-russia.jpg\" alt=\"Russian strategic bombers at Engels air base\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Engels air base. Photo: Alexander Chebanenko, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Ukrainian charges, three days earlier<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 31 August 2026 &mdash; three days before the shooting &mdash; Ukraine&rsquo;s SBU and Prosecutor General&rsquo;s Office announced charges in absentia against Varpakhovich over the 8 July 2024 Kh-101 strike on the Okhmatdyt children&rsquo;s hospital in Kyiv, launched from a Tu-95MS. A second officer, Col. Aleksandr Lutovinov, was named in the same statement. Casualty figures for that strike differ between outlets: Meduza and Euronews report two people killed, CNN three.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukraine has not commented on the shooting. As CNN noted in its coverage, Moscow has pointed the finger at Kyiv over previous killings, but Ukraine has never officially acknowledged a role in any of them. No Russian body has stated a motive, and the connection between the charges and the shooting is inference from timing, not evidence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=2095492858308383036&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:400px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukraine&rsquo;s military intelligence directorate has maintained a public sanctions file on Varpakhovich, which gives his date of birth as 29 May 1970 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, and records that he headed the 43rd Combat Training Centre for Long-Range Aviation crews at Ryazan from 2014 to 2021 before taking the division. He is under EU, Swiss and New Zealand sanctions. The same file still lists his rank as colonel, which is one more reason to treat the details as unsettled.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=2095460304842821771&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:400px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The pattern<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the identification holds, Varpakhovich would be the seventh Russian general targeted in roughly two years, by <em>The Moscow Times<\/em>&rsquo; count. Meduza catalogued at least six attempts in the two years to August 2026: Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, killed by a scooter bomb in Moscow in December 2024; Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, killed by a car bomb in Balashikha in April 2025; Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, killed by a car bomb in Moscow in December 2025; and Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev of the GRU, shot in his building&rsquo;s lobby in February 2026 and seriously wounded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That February shooting is the closest precedent here: a pistol rather than a bomb, and the target survived. In August 2026 a bomb at a Moscow restaurant, whose presumed target was Col. Gen. Aleksandr Chaiko &mdash; appointed commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces in May 2026, and so Varpakhovich&rsquo;s ultimate superior &mdash; killed several people without harming him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aircrew have been hit too. Ukraine&rsquo;s military intelligence said a Tu-95 crew commander, Maj. Oleg Stegachev, was shot in Engels in February 2024.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What is not yet known<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No arrest. No stated motive. No confirmation from the Defence Ministry, and no naming of the victim by any Russian official body. We could not confirm that Reuters, AP or AFP have run the story; the coverage so far comes from exile-Russian and Ukrainian outlets plus CNN and Euronews.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Early reports on stories like this one are frequently wrong, and two errors have already appeared in major coverage: CNN placed Engels in north-western Russia, when it is roughly 850 km south-east of Moscow, and Euronews dated the shooting to Wednesday in its body text while its own timestamp said Thursday. We will update this article as the facts firm up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;font-style:italic;margin-top:28px\"><em>Sources: Investigative Committee of Russia via TASS; The Moscow Times (3 September 2026); Meduza; The Insider; Kommersant; CNN; Euronews; Nasha Niva; SBU statement of 31 August 2026; Ukraine&rsquo;s GUR War &amp; Sanctions portal.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Who is Nikolai Varpakhovich?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Major General Nikolai Nikolaevich Varpakhovich, born 29 May 1970, is reported to command the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Forces, based at Engels-2. He previously headed the 43rd Combat Training Centre for Long-Range Aviation crews at Ryazan from 2014 to 2021. Note that no Russian official body has confirmed he is the officer shot on 3 September 2026 &mdash; that identification comes from Telegram channels.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What actually happened in the Saratov region on 3 September 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A gunman on a motorcycle, his face hidden by a helmet, fired two pistol shots at a serviceman in the village of Probuzhdeniye near Engels at about 07:00 local time, then fled. Russia&rsquo;s Investigative Committee confirmed it had opened a criminal case for attempted murder and illegal arms trafficking and said cartridge casings and bullets were recovered at the scene. No arrest has been reported.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Is Nikolai Varpakhovich dead?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No source reports him dead. Telegram channels and outlets relaying them describe his condition as serious or critical, say bullets struck his torso and face, and report that he was flown to Moscow for further treatment after both bullets were removed. None of this has been confirmed by a Russian official body.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why is Engels air base important?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Engels-2, about 14 km east of Saratov on the Volga, is the only operating base for Russia&rsquo;s Tu-160 strategic bombers and also hosts Tu-95MS aircraft. Both regiments fall under the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. These aircraft launch Kh-101 cruise missiles against Ukraine, and the base has been hit repeatedly by Ukrainian drones since December 2022.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Has Ukraine claimed responsibility for the shooting?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. Ukraine has not commented on the shooting. On 31 August 2026, three days earlier, Ukraine&rsquo;s SBU charged Varpakhovich in absentia over the 8 July 2024 strike on the Okhmatdyt children&rsquo;s hospital in Kyiv, but the link between those charges and the shooting is inference from timing rather than evidence. Kyiv has never officially acknowledged a role in any of the attacks on Russian officers.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many Russian generals have been attacked since 2024?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Meduza counted at least six assassination attempts on Russian generals in the two years to August 2026, three of them fatal, including Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov in December 2024 and Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik in April 2025. If the identification of the Engels victim is confirmed, <em>The Moscow Times<\/em> notes he would be the seventh general targeted in roughly two years.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who is Nikolai Varpakhovich?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Major General Nikolai Nikolaevich Varpakhovich, born 29 May 1970, is reported to command the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Forces, based at Engels-2. He previously headed the 43rd Combat Training Centre for Long-Range Aviation crews at Ryazan from 2014 to 2021. Note that no Russian official body has confirmed he is the officer shot on 3 September 2026 \u2014 that identification comes from Telegram channels.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What actually happened in the Saratov region on 3 September 2026?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A gunman on a motorcycle, his face hidden by a helmet, fired two pistol shots at a serviceman in the village of Probuzhdeniye near Engels at about 07:00 local time, then fled. Russia\u2019s Investigative Committee confirmed it had opened a criminal case for attempted murder and illegal arms trafficking and said cartridge casings and bullets were recovered at the scene. No arrest has been reported.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is Nikolai Varpakhovich dead?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No source reports him dead. Telegram channels and outlets relaying them describe his condition as serious or critical, say bullets struck his torso and face, and report that he was flown to Moscow for further treatment after both bullets were removed. None of this has been confirmed by a Russian official body.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is Engels air base important?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Engels-2, about 14 km east of Saratov on the Volga, is the only operating base for Russia\u2019s Tu-160 strategic bombers and also hosts Tu-95MS aircraft. Both regiments fall under the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. These aircraft launch Kh-101 cruise missiles against Ukraine, and the base has been hit repeatedly by Ukrainian drones since December 2022.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Has Ukraine claimed responsibility for the shooting?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. Ukraine has not commented on the shooting. On 31 August 2026, three days earlier, Ukraine\u2019s SBU charged Varpakhovich in absentia over the 8 July 2024 strike on the Okhmatdyt children\u2019s hospital in Kyiv, but the link between those charges and the shooting is inference from timing rather than evidence. Kyiv has never officially acknowledged a role in any of the attacks on Russian officers.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many Russian generals have been attacked since 2024?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Meduza counted at least six assassination attempts on Russian generals in the two years to August 2026, three of them fatal, including Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov in December 2024 and Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik in April 2025. If the identification of the Engels victim is confirmed, The Moscow Times notes he would be the seventh general targeted in roughly two years.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/tu-95-bear\/\">Tupolev Tu-95 Bear: The Aircraft Encyclopedia Entry<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/china-yy-20-tanker-fleet-pla-global-reach-2026\/\">China&rsquo;s YY-20 Tankers: The Real Measure of the PLA&rsquo;s Reach<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/fighter-jet-combat-statistics\/\">Fighter Jet Combat Statistics: Kills, Losses and Ratios<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story At around seven in the morning on Thursday 3 September 2026, in the village of Probuzhdeniye on the edge of Engels in Russia&rsquo;s Saratov region, a man on a motorcycle with his face hidden by a helmet fired two pistol shots at a serviceman, then rode away. He has not been detained. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":19837064,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19837697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Varpakhovich Shot Near Engels: What Is Confirmed | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Reports say Maj. Gen. Nikolai Varpakhovich was shot near Engels on 3 September 2026. What Russia has actually confirmed, and what it has not.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Varpakhovich Shot Near Engels: What Is Confirmed | MiGFlug\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Reports say Maj. Gen. Nikolai Varpakhovich was shot near Engels on 3 September 2026. What Russia has actually confirmed, and what it has not.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-03T19:53:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-03T19:58:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Gzgs.d0bc\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1424\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tamika Johnson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tamika Johnson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tamika Johnson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d\"},\"headline\":\"Nikolai Varpakhovich: Russian Bomber General Shot Near Engels\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-03T19:53:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-03T19:58:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1665,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/afterburner\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/09\\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Military Aviation\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/\",\"name\":\"Varpakhovich Shot Near Engels: What Is Confirmed | MiGFlug\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/afterburner\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/09\\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-03T19:53:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-03T19:58:51+00:00\",\"description\":\"Reports say Maj. Gen. Nikolai Varpakhovich was shot near Engels on 3 September 2026. What Russia has actually confirmed, and what it has not.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/afterburner\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/09\\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/afterburner\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/09\\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1424},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Nikolai Varpakhovich: Russian Bomber General Shot Near Engels\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\/\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\/w:897\\/h:278\\/q:mauto\\/ig:avif\\/https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/afterburner\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/06\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\/w:897\\/h:278\\/q:mauto\\/ig:avif\\/https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/afterburner\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/06\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d\",\"name\":\"Tamika Johnson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Tamika Johnson\"},\"description\":\"Tamika Johnson tells the human stories of aviation \u2014 the pilots, pioneers and characters behind the machines.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/fr\\\/author\\\/tamikajohnson\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Varpakhovich Shot Near Engels: What Is Confirmed | MiGFlug","description":"Reports say Maj. Gen. Nikolai Varpakhovich was shot near Engels on 3 September 2026. What Russia has actually confirmed, and what it has not.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/","og_locale":"fr_FR","og_type":"article","og_title":"Varpakhovich Shot Near Engels: What Is Confirmed | MiGFlug","og_description":"Reports say Maj. Gen. Nikolai Varpakhovich was shot near Engels on 3 September 2026. What Russia has actually confirmed, and what it has not.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-09-03T19:53:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-03T19:58:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1424,"url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Gzgs.d0bc\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Tamika Johnson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tamika Johnson","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/"},"author":{"name":"Tamika Johnson","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d"},"headline":"Nikolai Varpakhovich: Russian Bomber General Shot Near Engels","datePublished":"2026-09-03T19:53:29+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-03T19:58:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/"},"wordCount":1665,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Gzgs.d0bc\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg","articleSection":["Military Aviation","News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/","name":"Varpakhovich Shot Near Engels: What Is Confirmed | MiGFlug","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Gzgs.d0bc\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg","datePublished":"2026-09-03T19:53:29+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-03T19:58:51+00:00","description":"Reports say Maj. Gen. Nikolai Varpakhovich was shot near Engels on 3 September 2026. What Russia has actually confirmed, and what it has not.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Gzgs.d0bc\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Gzgs.d0bc\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/tupolev-tu-95ms-bear-russian-strategic-bomber.jpg","width":1920,"height":1424},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/nikolai-varpakhovich-russian-bomber-general-shot-engels-2026\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Nikolai Varpakhovich: Russian Bomber General Shot Near Engels"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Afterburner - Le magazine de MiGFlug","description":"pour ceux qui s&#039;int\u00e9ressent au pilotage d&#039;avions militaires et aux sujets li\u00e9s \u00e0 l&#039;aviation","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d","name":"Tamika Johnson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Tamika Johnson"},"description":"Tamika Johnson raconte les histoires humaines de l&#039;aviation \u2014 les pilotes, les pionniers et les personnalit\u00e9s qui se cachent derri\u00e8re les machines.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/author\/tamikajohnson\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19837697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19837697"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19837697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19840066,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19837697\/revisions\/19840066"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19837064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19837697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19837697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19837697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}