A RUSSIAN nuclear bomber pilot said to be responsible for horrific aerial strikes on civilians in Ukraine has been found murdered.
The body of Dmitry Golenkov, 46, was found covered in blood in an orchard in the Bryansk region, according to Kyiv’s military intelligence.
The Tu-22M pilot had sustained multiple head wounds after he was reportedly bludgeoned to death with a hammer.
A gruesome picture of his bloodied body was released by the GUR spy agency.
Ukraine has long alleged the major was a “war criminal” for the bombing of the Amstor shopping centre in Kremenchuk on June 22, 2022 which had 1,000 people inside at the time.
Some 22 were killed, and 59 wounded.
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He was also held responsible for a missile strike on a residential building in Dnipro on January 14, 2023, when 46 Ukrainian civilians were killed, including 6 children.
He had been described by Ukraine as a “future corpse”.
He flew the Tu-22M strategic bombers which are part of Russia’s nuclear strike force but which have been used for heavy bombing attacks on Ukraine during the war.
He was described as chief of staff of the aviation squadron of the 52nd heavy bomber aviation regiment Shaikovka in Kaluga region, military unit 33310.
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Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency said: “Hammer of justice - war criminal Dmitry Golenkov has been liquidated in Russia….
“The body of war criminal Dmitry Vladimirovich Golenkov was found in an apple orchard in the village of Suponevo near Bryansk in Russia.…
“The body of Russian war criminal Dmitry Golenkov was found with multiple head injuries, probably caused by a hammer.
“The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reminds ― there will be fair retribution for every war crime.”
Golenkov - a dad with at least two children - had been contacted by phone by a Ukrainian journalist on his role in civilian bombings.
He replied aggressively, saying: "I think that Crimea is Russia and has always been and is.”
He went on to lecture the journalist, saying Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia regions, and Crimea “are being shelled. Why don't you ask me about this?”
He alleged: “You are probably from Ukraine. In Russia, journalists don't ask such questions. Journalists don't ask questions at all.”
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After several attempts by the correspondent to get an answer from him about the shelling of Dnipro, Golenkov replied indignantly: "What, damn it, did I press the button or was I sitting in this plane?”
Asked if he felt sorry for the civilians slaughtered in the attack, he replied: “What people? What are you talking about? I don't understand.”