‘Dasvidaniya Comrade-Colonel’: Russian Army Loses Another One in Ukraine

This Can’t Be a Coincidence

You know the war isn’t going well for you when it’s getting hard to keep track of all of the high-ranking officers that are being killed.

Today we look at the late Russian Colonel Alexander Bespalov, age 42. He was officially the ninth Russian colonel to die in combat operations in Ukraine. By comparison, Russia lost five colonels during its 10-year campaign in Afghanistan.

Many of the nine are thought to have been taken out after moving close to the front lines in an attempt to shore up failing morale among soldiers. In doing so, they met with far deadlier resistance than they had been warned to expect.

Ukraine’s ability to target such commanders, meanwhile, is said to be because the invading army has been using unencrypted communication channels, thereby easily exposing their location to western intelligence.

Online sources state that Bespalov’s remains were found in a pile of dead bodies at a hospital. Other than the fact that he was killed in combat, details of his death remain sketchy.

Bespalov was in charge of the 59th Guards Tank Regiment, which faced massive losses on the battlefield. He was given a funeral in the Russian city of Ozersk on April 8th.

Remembrance

Memories of the colonel were shared on a now-deleted announcement of his funeral posted on an online forum in the Ozersk region named “Overheard Novogorny.” 

One such tribute was from the colonel’s sister: “It is impossible to put into words what pain you feel when you lose a close and dear person. Dear brother, you will always be alive in our hearts.”

A fellow officer posted:

“I didn’t know and didn’t meet a more worthy person who had the right to call himself an officer than my first commander Bespalov Alexander, who became my friend, whose family I was closely acquainted with. He was for me the one who really has the right to call himself an officer of the Russian army, whom I respected and respect on a par with my father. A man of honor and military prowess, with all his heart and soul caring for his military cause and for his Fatherland. Easy way to you, Commander. Peace and prosperity to your family and your family for all time.”