Deputy mayor meets untimely death in blast at Stavropol location in Russia; footage suggests missile link.
On the night of May 28-29, Zaur Gurtsiev, a prominent figure in the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, was tragically killed in a nighttime explosion in Stavropol. Gurtsiev, who led the airborne part of the operation to capture Mariupol, was considered a key player in the siege of the city in spring 2022.
As the first deputy mayor of Stavropol following his appointment in September 2024, Gurtsiev, a 34-year-old Army major from Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, received recognition for his involvement in the Mariupol operation with the Order of Courage and the Medal of Zhukov. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, with varying reports from different sources.
According to the governor of the Stavropol Krai, Gurtsiev perished as a result of an incident on Chekhov Street in Stavropol. Law enforcement agencies and special services are currently investigating the incident, with theories including a "terrorist attack" potentially involving Ukrainian influence being considered. A video of the explosion site was shared by the Stavropol Krai Investigative Committee.
Russian propagandists reported two people had been killed in a grenade explosion on Chekhov Street, near a residential building. The city's mayor confirmed the deaths of two men. Gurtsiev's expertise in missile guidance technology was considered instrumental in the effectiveness of the air strikes during the siege of Mariupol.
It is essential to note that the fighting for Mariupol is estimated to have resulted in at least 22,000–25,000 deaths, with many civilians perishing under the rubble of destroyed buildings. The Ukrainian government condemned Gurtsiev's unit for targeting civilian infrastructure, including residential areas, hospitals, and the Mariupol Drama Theatre.
Previously, Gurtsiev had joined President Putin's "Time of Heroes" program for veterans, which emerged among Russian plans to train and recruit participants for government agencies and state-owned companies in response to the war against Ukraine. Notably, the authorities of North Ossetia appointed Yuri Abaev, a former Russian army officer accused of killing Ukrainian prisoners of war, as the new Minister of Labour and Social Protection in May 2025.
In an unrelated event, Russian officials Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant were killed in an explosion in Moscow in December 2024, a day after the Security Service of Ukraine served the general with a notice of suspicion in absentia. Similarly, a car explosion in the city of Balashikha near Moscow claimed the life of a lieutenant general of the Russian Ministry of Defence in April 2025.
- The death of Zaur Gurtsiev, a key figure in the siege of Mariupol during war-and-conflicts in Ukraine, raised questions within Russian politics regarding his involvement in government agencies, considering his expertise in missile guidance technology and his appointment as the first deputy mayor of Stavropol.
- As ongoing examinations by law enforcement agencies and special services reveal, the circumstances surrounding Gurtsiev's tragic demise on Chekhov Street in Stavropol remain unclear, prompting concerns about potential terrorist attacks or foreign influence, particularly from Ukraine.
- Opposition to Gurtsiev's military campaigns was evident in general-news outlets, with the Ukrainian government denouncing his unit for targeting civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and residential areas, during the fights for Mariupol, causing thousands of civilian deaths, a stark reminder of the impacts of technology and culture on health and human rights in conflict zones.
