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<\/p>\nA RUSSIAN colonel was blown up in a drone strike while mowing his lawn, according to reports.<\/p>\n
Police Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Chernykh was doing garden work at his country home in Shchetinovka, Russia, just 1,000ft from the Ukraine border when he was killed.<\/p>\n
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Telegram channel Baza, linked to Russian intelligence, said Chernykh -who worked in Russia's anti-corruption police force – was confirmed dead following the blast.<\/p>\n
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov accused Ukraine of being behind the deadly "targeted" strike.<\/p>\n
Telegram channel Baza said: "Aleksey died after a Ukrainian drone dropped ammunition on his site in Shchetinovka.\u00a0<\/p>\n
"At that moment, Alexei had the day off and mowed the lawn."<\/p>\n
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Gladkov\u00a0said Chernykh died from shrapnel wounds.<\/p>\n
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the strike.<\/p>\n
If the war-torn country is behind the blast, however, it may be evidence of their growing ability to carry out pin-pointed attacks.<\/p>\n
It comes as Russia has been rocked by numerous drone strikes in recent weeks – especially around the capital, Moscow.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Just last week, massive explosions were seen at a military airfield where Vladimir Putin\u2019s supersonic Tu-22M3 strategic bombers are based.<\/p>\n Moscow's aerial defences were forced to work overtime as missiles and kamikaze drones flew towards key locations in the capital city.<\/p>\n Kyiv\u00a0is alleged to have fired a fearsome modified S-200 missile to blitz\u00a0Putin's prized bombers based at the Shaykovka military airfield.<\/p>\n And days earlier, three people were killed as Russia suffered kamikaze drone attacks for the sixth day in a row.<\/p>\n A blast rocked the\u00a0tenth to 15th floors of the new\u00a0One Tower, under construction, in the capital's business and government zone.<\/p>\n The high-rise was hit by one of three military UAVs to target\u00a0Moscow overnight – as the US warned\u00a0Ukraine\u00a0it did not support or facilitate its\u00a0strikes\u00a0inside\u00a0Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n There was disruption at Moscow\u2019s four main airports as flights were suspended\u00a0during the drone incursions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile in early 2022, shocking footage revealed the moment a bomb dropped from a Ukrainian drone blew up a Russian tank.<\/p>\n Striking footage shows the utter devastation inflicted on a multi-million dollar tank from what is believed to be a $10,000 drone.<\/p>\n The humiliating scenes come despite Putin's 44.5 tonne battle tanks being fitted with 40mm thick armour.<\/p>\n But the top of the tanks are kitted out with thinner armour for mobility reasons – making them incredibly vulnerable to aerial attack.<\/p>\n And since Putin invaded Ukraine last year, a number of his colonels have been killed.<\/p>\n Colonel Vadim Boyko, 44, who had been involved in the mobilisation campaign, was shot five times in an apparent "suicide". <\/p>\n He reportedly had \u201cmultiple bullet wounds" when discovered in his office.<\/p>\n Russian\u00a0reporting initially said it was "suicide" – but no suicide note has been found.<\/p>\n More than eight allies and intelligence officers close to the dictator have died in mysterious ways.<\/p>\n Anatoly Gerashchenko, the former rector of the\u00a0Moscow\u00a0Aviation Institute died after reportedly falling down a series of flights of stairs.<\/p>\n Ivan Pechorin\u00a0–\u00a0Putin's point man for developing\u00a0Russia's vast Arctic resources – reportedly fell off the side of a boat in waters close to Russky Island in mysterious circumstances.<\/p>\n And oil boss Ravil Maganov died after "falling from a hospital window".<\/p>\n In June, Major-General Sergey Goryachev, 52, was struck and killed by a\u00a0long-range British-supplied\u00a0Storm Shadow missile\u00a0in Zaporizhzhia region, according to\u00a0Moscow\u00a0war sources.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/GIF-LASCELLES.gif?strip=all&w=300&h=192&crop=1\")
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