Pavel Yuryevich Klimenko (; 29 June 1977 – 6 November 2024) was a Russian
major general who commanded the 5th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade of the
Russian Army
The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...
based in
Donetsk Oblast
Donetsk Oblast, also referred to as Donechchyna (, ), is an Oblasts of Ukraine, oblast in eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 million residents. Its capital city, administrative centre is Donetsk, though d ...
, Ukraine.
Biography
Klimenko was born in
Stavropol Krai on 29 June 1977. A graduate of
Saint Petersburg's combined arms school, he served in North
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
and in
Crimea
Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
prior to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
. Klimenko was promoted to major general in May 2024.
During the war in Ukraine, Klimenko's unit was accused of torturing Russian soldiers who refused to fight.
Russian sources said that he had established a
concentration camp
A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
at an abandoned mine outside
Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; ; ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin, and Stalino, is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine located on the Kalmius River in Donetsk Oblast, which is currently occupied by Russia as the capita ...
.
[ The brigade was also accused of responsibility for the murder of Russell Bentley in April 2024.]Kamikaze drone
A loitering munition, also known as a suicide drone, kamikaze drone, or exploding drone, is a weapon with a warhead that is typically designed to loiter until a target is designated, then crash into it. .
See also
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References
1977 births
2024 deaths
Russian major generals
Russian military personnel killed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Deaths by Ukrainian drone strikes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
People from Stavropol Krai
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