A high-ranking Russian missile developer, Mikhail Shatsky, was killed during what sources claim was a covert operation by Ukrainian military intelligence in Moscow's suburbs.
Shatsky, who served as deputy chief designer at Moscow's Mars design bureau and headed its software department, was reportedly shot in Kuzminki forest park near Kotelniki in the Moscow region on December 11.
As a key figure in Russia's military-industrial complex, Shatsky played a central role in modernizing Russian cruise missiles, particularly the upgrade of Kh-59 missiles to the Kh-69 variant. His colleagues regarded him as the chief architect for implementing artificial intelligence in Russian drones and aerospace systems.
The Mars design bureau, where Shatsky worked, operates under Rosatom and specializes in developing control and navigation systems for aerospace vehicles, including guidance systems for cruise missiles and strikes against Ukrainian cities since October 2024.
Russian journalist Alexander Nevzorov first broke the news on Telegram, attributing the operation to Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR). However, the HUR has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the operation, maintaining their standard policy regarding such incidents.
Ukrainian defense sources indicate that individuals involved in Russia's military aggression against Ukraine are considered legitimate targets for Ukraine's defense forces.
This incident adds to a pattern of targeted operations against Russian military officials and key personnel involved in the ongoing conflict, though Ukrainian agencies typically do not officially acknowledge their role in such operations.