The Russian government sacked Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev from the deputy defence minister’s post, the news agency Reuters reported on Friday (April 28) citing media reports. Colonel General Mizintsev, also dubbed the “Butcher of Mariupol”, had orchestrated the siege of the Ukrainian city in the early months of the conflict that started in February last year. In September, he was appointed Russia’s deputy defence minister in charge of logistics and supplies.
The Russian defence ministry has not commented on Mikhail’s sacking while the Kremlin said it could not say anything on the subject.
Last June, the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on Mikhail Mizintsev and said he was responsible for the inhuman siege of Mariupol. The EU referred to him as the “Butcher of Mariupol.”
This news comes as Russia hurled missiles across Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 12 people. This was the first large-scale air strike in nearly two months.
In Uman, a Russian missile struck an upper floor of a residential apartment building killing 10 people. According to regional governor Ihor Taburets, the deceased included two children. Firefighters were seen battling the raging blaze at the building, and rescue workers clambered through a huge pile of the smouldering rubble, carrying out a body bag away on a stretcher, Reuters reported.
“At first, the windows were blown out, then came the explosion. Everything flew out,” Olga, a resident, told the news agency.
The other two deaths were reported in the southeastern city of Dnipro, where a missile struck a house, killing a two-year-old child and a 31-year-old woman, according to regional governor Serhiy Lysak said. Three people were injured in this strike.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Russia has it does not deliberately target civilians, but its air strikes and shelling have killed thousands of people and devastated cities and towns across Ukraine.
These early morning attacks in came as the government is preparing to launch a counteroffensive to try to retake Russian-occupied territory.
“Equipment has been promised, prepared and partially delivered. In a global sense, we’re ready,” Ukrainian defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov said, adding preparations were coming to an end.
(With inputs from agencies)
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