On November 20, 2024, at approximately 15:00 local time, a cruise missile strike targeted a Russian command post located in the village of Maryino, Rylsky District, Kursk Region.
The attack was reportedly carried out using a British-French manufactured Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missile.
According to multiple sources, the attack resulted in the deaths of 18 military personnel, while 33 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. Among the injured are three soldiers from North Korea, including two men with severe wounds and a female medic with minor injuries. The wounded have been transported to the Rylsk Central District Hospital for treatment.
Most of those affected were officers from the Southern Military District (SMD) and Eastern Military District (EMD). Reports also indicate that Lieutenant General Solodchuk, First Deputy Commander of the Leningrad Military District, was present at the command post at the time of the strike. However, no further information on his condition has been made available.
A Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missile launched by a Su-24M strike bomber of the #Ukraine Air Force hit an underground command center of the #Russian president #Putin currently in use of North Korean mercenaries in #Kursk. pic.twitter.com/FAc051E9xU
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) November 21, 2024
The aftermath of the strike saw an additional incident during the clearing of debris at the site. Around 19:00 local time, an unexploded ordnance detonated, injuring 13 soldiers from the 88th Engineer Regiment (military unit number 53359). Among those injured was the Deputy Chief of Staff of the regiment, highlighting the ongoing danger even in the aftermath of such strikes.
Russian officials have yet to formally respond to the strike, but it adds to the growing toll of recent high-profile incidents targeting key command and control facilities.