ONE of Putin's most notorious mercenaries, dubbed "The Executioner", has reportedly been killed by a Ukrainian sniper.
Vladimir Andonov part of the notorious Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries, was reportedly involved in the shooting of Ukrainian prisoners of war during fighting in the Donbas back in 2014.
The 44-year-old, who is from the Buryatia region of Russia's Far East, is believed to have been shot dead in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine.
He was a key member of the Wagner Group, a private military company loyal to Putin which has been involved in bloody missions around the world.
His death was first reported by the Russian publication Moskovsky Komsomolets, which wrote: "The death in Ukraine of Vladimir Andonov, better known as Vaha, has become known.
"He died last night during reconnaissance of the area together with his friend."
The newspaper claims he was likely gunned down by a Ukrainian sniper.
Andonov served in the special forces and received a medal 'for merit in battle' after fighting in 2014.
That same year, according to Ukrainian sources, he also received infamy as a bloodthirsty butcher during the battle for Debaltsevo.
Andonov is believed to have personally taken part in the shooting of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Logvinovo, as well as the massacre of civilians in the Donbas.
His name is included in the Ukrainian-run "Peacemaker" database, which lists the Russian military's crimes.
After the first Russia-Ukraine war, he travelled to Syria and joined the Wagner Group, which was then on missions in Libya.
He was first spotted back in Ukraine shortly after the start of the war on February 24 this year.
Andonov's death appeared to be confirmed by Russian military sources based in Buryatia on the messaging app Telegram.
One user on a Buryatia Telegram channel wrote: "He died at night, during the reconnaissance of the area, together with his companion, probably killed by a sniper."
Buryat publication Gazeta Nomer Odin, confirming his death, described "Vaha" as "perhaps the most famous volunteer in Buryatia, who fought in the Donbas in 2014".
Andonov was born in a remote Russian village close to the Mongolian border in 1978, enlisting in the Russian army in 1997.
In an interview with Gazeta Nomer Odin in 2017, he said: "I was in Donbas in September 2014, volunteering.
"I was urged by the events of May 2 in Odesa, where people were burned alive."
He also said his grandfather had fought in Ukraine during the Second World War.
In 2016, he returned home to work as an instructor for Combat Brotherhood, which holds military drills around the former Soviet Union.
According to another military channel on Telegram, he was killed alongside fellow fighter Bair Mitupov, also from Buryatia.
Another newspaper, The Baikal Daily, wrote of his death: "In Ukraine, the legendary volunteer from Buryatia Vladimir Andonov, known as Vaha, has died.
"Information about his death was confirmed by the head of the Buryat branch of the public organisation of Combat Brotherhood veterans, Jambal-Jamso Janaev.
"He said the funeral would take place in Ulan-Ude."
It comes as two of Putin's generals were killed in a single strike overnight.
Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov, 47, and Major General Roman Kutuzov were allegedly killed in the same ambush in eastern Ukraine on Sunday.
According to a report on Telegram by state TV reporter Alexander Sladkov, the two generals died after their convoy was ambushed on a bridge in Donetsk region.
Kutuzov's death has reportedly been confirmed by the Russians, but there has been no comment on Berdnikov.
Berdnikov, former commander of the Russian armed forces in Syria, would be the 12th general to have been killed in the war.
It means the two most senior Russian commanders in Donetsk would have been wiped out in one strike in a further stunning setback to Putin.
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18799454/russia-fighter-killed-ukraine-wagner-group-executioner/
Ukraine
‘wipes out TWO of Putin’s generals in a single strike bringing death toll of
top-rank Russian commanders to 12’
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