Pskov division commander Abdulaziz Shikhabidov killed in Ukraine

A Russian colonel from Dagestan, Abdulaziz Shikhabidov, who headed the 76th Guards Air Assault Division (Pskov Division), was killed in Ukraine.

The Russian Agentstvo Telegram media outlet published a video of the funeral.

The Agentstvo also shared photos from schools in Dagestan, where memorial corners were organized with a description of Shikhabidov’s military biography.

In Buynaksk Secondary Boarding School No. 3, extracurricular activities were held for students in grades 7-9: children decorated the classroom with St. George’s ribbons, held a minute of silence, lit candles of remembrance, and listened to a speech by the Minister of Education of the republic, Yakhya Buchayev.

After the publication, the photo report was removed from the school’s social media, but it was preserved in the web archive.

Shikhabidov’s funeral took place on Monday, May 6, at a cemetery in Moscow.

Shikhabidov was appointed commander of the 76th Division personally by Vladimir Putin less than two months before his death on March 10, 2025.

A month later, Putin publicly praised the division, emphasizing its “daily successes” at the frontlines.

After that, a large-scale campaign to honor the new commander began in Dagestan: billboards with his image appeared in the republic, and children were asked to draw his portraits in schools.

Prior to his appointment to the Pskov Division, Shikhabidov participated in the wars in South Ossetia and Syria and was awarded a number of medals.

The 76th Guards Air Assault Division has been involved in the war against Ukraine since 2014.

In 2022, units of this division were stationed in Bucha, where, according to investigations, the soldiers were involved in violence against civilians.