One of the Kremlin’s most decorated military snipers has been killed while fighting in Ukraine, according to reports from Russian military bloggers and confirmed by Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov.
Vitali Mykolayovych Shapovalov, a senior warrant officer with the Russian army’s reconnaissance special forces, was killed in action on 11 May in what Moscow still calls the “special military operation” zone. Aged 51, Shapovalov was widely known by his battlefield nickname “Dead”. He was viewed by Russian propaganda channels as one of the country’s elite snipers, with more than ten Kremlin-awarded honours.
Shapovalov was a veteran of Russia’s brutal military campaigns in Chechnya, having served five separate six-month combat tours. He also spent two years deployed in Syria, playing a role in Russia’s controversial involvement there. Following the full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he joined frontline units to support Russia’s aggressive actions.
Although the exact location of his death was not disclosed, multiple Russian sources confirmed his elimination. His demise represents a symbolic and tactical loss for Russian forces, as he was part of an ageing but experienced core of combat operatives propping up the Kremlin’s continued warfare.
Just weeks earlier, on 25 April, another senior Russian figure—Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskovsky—was killed in a car bombing outside his residence in the Moscow suburb of Balashikha. Investigators suspect an improvised explosive device was used in the targeted killing.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces delivered another strike to Russian capabilities by destroying a Msta-S self-propelled howitzer on the Zaporizhzhia front. The 152 millimetre artillery system, valued at approximately £1.1 million (₽125 million), was obliterated in a precision attack likely coordinated by drone reconnaissance. The destruction of the howitzer and its crew marks a further erosion of Russian firepower.
Elsewhere, tensions escalated after US President Donald Trump reportedly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders that the Russian dictator is allegedly ready for peace talks. Trump, who spoke with the Kremlin leader recently, claimed that sanctions and US support were no longer needed.
This statement was quickly contradicted by reports from Bild, citing intelligence sources, which revealed the Kremlin had resumed issuing hardline demands shortly after the call. These included that Ukraine retreat from occupied territories such as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, halt all military mobilisation, and stop receiving weapons from the West.
European officials expressed strong scepticism. Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė dismissed Trump’s remarks as repetitive and hollow, stating that Putin is merely stalling for time. Ukrainian and EU officials remain united in viewing these so-called peace overtures as another Kremlin ploy to weaken global support for Kyiv.
On the international front, a major spy trial has commenced in Munich. Three German citizens with Russian passports stand accused of espionage, sabotage planning, and leaking sensitive military data to Russian intelligence services. One suspect is believed to have fought alongside Russian proxy forces in Donbas.
In parallel, the Kremlin is accelerating investments in its strategic bomber fleet, upgrading aircraft like the Tu-95MS and Tu-160, and continuing to develop its next-generation stealth bomber, the PAK DA, despite international sanctions.
However, the European Union is responding in force. EU nations have agreed to launch a £128 billion (€150 billion) defence fund called Security Action for Europe (SAFE). This initiative will provide loans and support to EU members and partners like Ukraine to strengthen their defence industries. The EU will also allocate an additional £770 million (€900 million) from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s military needs, bringing recent EU assistance for Kyiv’s defence sector to nearly £2.8 billion (€3.3 billion).
In the United States, defence contractor General Atomics has unveiled the YFQ42A, a new unmanned fighter jet prototype set to become operational by 2029. Designed to complement or even replace manned aircraft in dangerous missions, these stealth drones represent the future of aerial warfare.
President Zelensky also hosted Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, thanking him for £355 million ($450 million) in energy and defence aid, reinforcing Ukraine’s resilience amid a war that shows no signs of abating.
