Russian battalion commander, Dmitry Lisitsky, was found dead on 26 March 2023 under mysterious circumstances at his home, sparking speculation about his cause of death.
Discover our latest podcast
Who was Dmitry Lisitsky?
Lisitsky was the Commander of the 1st Airborne Assault Battalion of the 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment of the Russian Army. He was thought to be one of the organisers of the notorious 'Ilovaisk cauldron', which was the Russian slaughter of hundreds of retreating Ukrainian troops during the Donbas conflict in 2014.
The Ukrainian media frequently describe the battle of Ilovaisk as one of the worst in Ukrainian history. The Russian military has denied its involvement in the operation. In 2015, Lisitsky was awarded a Hero of Russia title, but the official reason for the award was not disclosed to the public.
Read more:
⋙ Vladimir Putin critic survives attempted poisoning that may have targeted her appearance
One of the organizers of the Ilovaisk tragedy in 2014, when Ukrainian soldiers were shot in a green corridor provided by russia, russian paratrooper commander Dmitry Lisitsky died, according to one version, by suicide, according to another, being eliminated by the Ukrainian army. pic.twitter.com/8z98TJ4Yj4
— Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) March 27, 2023
Read more ⋙ Vladimir Putin accused of being behind the mysterious deaths of 39 Russian elites
How did Lisitsky die?
There is disagreement over how Lisitsky died. Some claim he died by suicide, while others report that he was killed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian journalist Yury Butusov claimed Lisitsky was 'liquidated' by Ukrainian soldiers avenging the Ilovaisk massacre.
Meanwhile, Russian journalist Ksenia Sobchak and the Telegram news channel Baza both wrote that Lisitsky died by suicide after shooting himself. His body was allegedly found with a gunshot wound in his Stavropol apartment.
Sobchak claimed:
His colleagues are saying that Lisitsky had lately been depressed and talked about suicide, supposedly because of the complaints about his unlawful actions with respect to the personnel.
Finally, Alexander Tenkov, a local official in the Stavropol region, confirmedLisitsky’s deathto Bazabut did not specify the cause.
Sources used:
Meduza: Decorated Russian battalion commander dies, prompting speculation about Ukrainian ‘revenge’ for Ilovaisk massacre or possible suicide
Ukrainska Pravda: 'One of Ilovaisk tragedy organisers, Russian commander Lisitsky dies'
