Investigative journalists from the Schemes project and the Sledstvo.Info agency identified the Russian military who were at the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station and established who was actually the commander of the 205th brigade, which controlled the station.
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Investigators also obtained exclusive wiretapping of conversations that took place between the military on the night of the destruction of the hydroelectric dam. In them, the invaders discussed that they were preparing to do something “on command”, and then there was “full water”.
Videos filmed by Russian propagandists came in handy for journalists in identifying them, even though the fighters hid their faces in balaclavas. For example, it was possible to identify 35-year-old Arsen Pitskhelauri with the call sign “Gruzin”, as well as Ruslan Magomedov, sergeant of the engineer-sapper battalion of the 205th Motorized Rifle Brigade, and 36-year-old major Denis, deputy brigade commander with the call sign “Polygon”.
The media workers and the commander of the occupiers were installed. Previously, it was believed that it was Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Shandura – so they wrote in the media.
In fact, the commander of the 205th separate motorized rifle “Cossack” brigade of the Russian Federation, which captured and controlled the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, was 43-year-old Colonel Roman Titov from the Altai Territory.
As the investigators found out, he replaced Shandura in this post at least as early as November 2022.
Titov has been “directly involved in criminal activities on the territory of Ukraine” since March 2015. Until 205, Titov commanded units that, until February 2016, fought in the region of Lugansk and Krasnodon (Sorokino).
According to information from Ukrainian intelligence officers, which was confirmed to journalists, Titov has a criminal record for exceeding official authority with the use of violence and weapons.
In the general material, an exclusive interception of a conversation between fighters of the 205th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Federation in those minutes when the explosion and destruction of the dam occurred was also published.
Judging by the conversation, the day before, the fighters were supposed to be “in readiness” and prepared for certain actions “on command”, including leaving the territory through the “point of withdrawal”.
Also, the investigators managed to find a worker of the hydroelectric power station, who was forced to stay at the station together with the occupiers for seven months.
He told in detail exactly where the sappers were located – he said that they were housed in a bomb shelter – they lived there for a long period in underground rooms minus seven meters deep into the station.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.