Russia suffers major casualty as deputy governor killed by landmine in Kursk
Russia suffers major casualty as deputy governor killed by landmine in Kursk
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Sergey Efremov was deputy governor of eastern region of Primorsky Krai. A deputy regional governor has become the most senior Russian government official to die fighting against Ukraine. Sergey Efremov, the deputy governor of the eastern Primorsky Krai region, died in Kursk, where Russian forces have been trying to beat back a Ukrainian invasion since last August. Efremov was reportedly killed along with a military officer on Friday when their vehicle struck a landmine and blew up.
“I know that his friends and comrades will do everything to avenge him,” Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Primorsky Krai, said in an emotional video. His deputy had died a “hero”, Mr Kozhemyako said. “He honoured and courageously fulfilled combat missions there, glorifying the marine infantry, glorifying the Tigers and Primorsky Krai,” the governor added, sharing a photo of Efremov. His death on the battlefield is significant for Russia as senior government officials have typically avoided taking up combat roles during the Ukraine war.
Efremov, 51, had graduated from Russia’s prestigious airborne officers college in Ryazan and was known for setting up a volunteer unit called the Tigers in June 2022. Efremov went back to Primorsky Krai in 2023, but rejoined the Tigers after Ukrainian forces invaded the Russian border region of Kursk. While Moscow is yet to officially confirm Efremov’s death on the battlefield, Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, a separatist region in eastern Ukraine that is controlled by Russia, expressed condolences about the loss on his Telegram channel.
