Strike on Crimea: intelligence says death of Russia’s General Staff chief not confirmed

The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry (GUR) currently does not confirm the reports claiming the Chief of the Russian Army’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, was killed in the Ukrainian strike targeting a command post near occupied Crimea’s Sevastopol.

Andriy Yusov, the GUR spokesman, reported this on the air of Radio NV, Ukrinform heard.

"Indeed, there was a complex operation by Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces targeting military facilities in (temporarily) occupied Crimea. In particular, as part of the GUR effort, the enemy's warehouses were hit and they suffered significant losses. But as for (the death of – ed.) Gerasimov, the reports currently remain unconfirmed," Yusov said.

He recalled that the initial reports appeared in Russian media outlets, which are not the first to spread such "news".

"That is, this information needs thorough additional verification. This would be very good news for all of us, but we are currently checking. We can confirm that enemy formations, personnel, forces and means have been eliminated. This is already very good news. And if Gerasimov is finished, it will be a nice bonus," noted the spokesman.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on January 4, the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit a Russian invasion forces’ command post near Sevastopol.