The Ukrainian Armed Forces killed a Russian National Guard lieutenant colonel in the occupied Kherson region

Ukrainian military forces eliminated Russian National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Lyubov Ponamaryova, who had come from Russia’s Kirov Oblast to serve in the occupied Kherson region.

The Unmanned Systems Forces carried out a strike on the base in the village of Strilkove on August 24. This was previously reported by SBS Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi.

According to media reports, Ponomaryova is originally from the village of Oparino in Russia’s Kirov Oblast. Before joining the security forces, she was a teacher and later worked in the administration of a local municipal district.

<picture></picture>Photo: Russian social media pages

After that, Ponomareva began her service in Russia’s internal affairs agencies. She came to the occupied Kherson region for work.

There, she served in the SOBR—a special rapid-response unit of the Russian National Guard. At the time of her death, she held the rank of police lieutenant colonel.

<picture></picture>Photo: Russian social media pages

SOBR carries out special forces missions and also participates in the detention of members of the Resistance Movement against the occupying authorities.

On August 27, Ponomareva was buried in Oparino. Local Russian social media accounts claim that after her death, she was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage.

Ukraine recently announced charges against a Russian National Guard soldier suspected of torturing a Kherson resident who was detained by Russian military personnel at a checkpoint near the Antonivsky Bridge during the occupation of the city. 

According to the investigation, the suspect was a rifleman in the special operations company of the 143rd Regiment of the Russian National Guard. In June 2022, he participated in the unlawful detention of a local resident.

Ірина Глухова