Russian general who ordered attack on Kyiv & Irpin a Ukrainian citizen, official confirms

In a shocking development, a top Ukrainian official confirmed that the general of the Russian occupying forces, who gave orders to bomb several regions of Kyiv and Irpin, was a Ukrainian citizen. According to the official advisor and a former deputy minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, the Russian military official who ordered the destruction of several Ukrainian cities was General Vitaly Shkolenko, who originally belongs to the Cherkasy region-- nearly 188 km from the national capital, Kyiv. Notably, the shocking details came as the Russian forces were continuously bombing several regions of the war-torn country, resulting in the killing of thousands of people. 

Earlier on Saturday, as the Russian forces were unable to achieve the "goal" set by their President Vladimir Putin despite the war entering its 46th day, media reports claimed that the commander of Russia’s southern military district is now leading the "frustrated army". According to a BBC report, Russia’s southern military district Commander, General Alexander Dvornikov, is now leading the Russian invasion.

The name of the new commander was also confirmed by a Western official who said that Dvornikov has extensive experience in Russian operations in Syria. Notably, the change took place amid reports that Moscow wants an 'announceable success' in eastern Ukraine by May 9, the day when Russia celebrates victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Noting the experience of the General, the official assumed that the overall command and control would improve against Ukraine. The official noted that Putin has changed the command in order to improve coordination between various units. 

Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine claims nearly 19,000 Russian troops killed since Feb 24

Notably, on Saturday, Ukrainian Army's General Staff claimed the killing of nearly 19,000 Russian soldiers since the Russian invasion began on February 24.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had admitted to bearing a significant loss on the ground during an interview with Sky News on Thursday, April 7. "We have significant losses of troops. It’s a huge tragedy for us," he said.

Furthermore, the Kremlin spokesperson noted that he sees no possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin being tried for war crimes over Russia's military offensive. 

(Image: Republic)