Major General Valery Plokhotnyuk Killed in Moscow Bombing

Major General Valery Plokhotnyuk of the Russian Army was killed in an explosion near the Balzi Rossi restaurant in Moscow.

This was reported by the anonymous Russian online community VChK-OGPU.

The explosion occurred on August 1 during celebrations marking the 55th birthday of Alexander Chaika, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Federation’s Aerospace Forces.

The explosive device likely detonated as General Plokhotnyuk was arriving at the restaurant in a car with emergency lights flashing. He was buried at the Troekurovsky Cemetery in Moscow.

From December 2011 to March 2013, Valery Plokhotnyuk commanded the Operational Group of Russian Forces in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova. He later served as chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 49th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District, headquartered in Stavropol, and repeatedly commanded local military parades.

The position he held at the time of his death remains unknown. Units of the 49th Combined Arms Army are participating in the war against Ukraine on the southern front, specifically in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Previously, Lieutenant General Igor Yerusalimov died in Russia, under unknown circumstances. It cannot be ruled out that he may also have been present at Chaika’s birthday celebration.