Decorated Russian battalion commander dies, prompting speculation about Ukrainian ‘revenge’ for Ilovaisk massacre or possible suicide

Dmitry Lisitsky, believed to be one of the organizers of the deadly “Ilovaisk cauldron” in the course of the Donbas conflict in 2014, has died under uncertain circumstances.

Some sources claim that the decorated battalion commander died “on the frontline,” or that he was “liquidated” by the Ukrainian military to avenge for his role in the infamous Ilovaisk massacre. The Ukrainian journalist Yury Butusov was first to report Lisitsky’s death, noting that the commander’s “liquidation” will hurt his airborne regiment and dampen its combat readiness.

At the same time, the Russian journalist Ksenia Sobchak and the Telegram news channel Baza both write that Lisitsky shot himself in his Stavropol apartment. According to Sobchak, “his colleagues are saying that Lisitsky had lately been depressed and talked about suicide, supposedly because of the complaints about his unlawful actions with respect to the personnel.”

Alexander Tenkov, a local official in the Stavropol region, has acknowledged Lisitsky’s death without giving further details.

The Ukrainian media often speak of the battle of Ilovaisk as one of the worst in Ukrainian history. The Russian military has denied its role in the operation. In 2015, Lisitsky was awarded a Hero of Russia title, but no official reason for the award was made public.