The National Resistance Center has obtained new information about a Kremlin operative implicated in the occupation of Ukrainian territories, as well as acts of violence and murder against civilians. This time, it concerns Serhiy Gennadiyovych Shykhanov, a police colonel and former commander of a mobile unit of the Crimean Berkut. Shykhanov was involved in the killings of protesters during the Euromaidan events from February 18 to 20, 2014.
However, Shikhanov’s career as a “special forces officer” began long before the events of Euromaidan. Immediately after graduating from the Saratov Institute of Internal Affairs in 1999, the future “hero” began his service in military unit 3499, better known as the 8th Special Forces Detachment “Rus” of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Rus detachment gained notoriety for its atrocities in Chechnya in 1994 (including in Grozny) and in Dagestan in 1999. Shikhanov actively participated in the war crimes committed in Dagestan.
Later, Lieutenant Colonel Shikhanov surfaced in Crimea, where he led the Berkut mobile special forces unit on the Ukrainian peninsula during the events of the Revolution of Dignity. As previously noted, it was his forces that brutally shed the blood of peaceful protesters on the Maidan.
In 2016, for his loyal service to the Kremlin and its hateful policies, Serhiy Gennadiyovych was rewarded by Gauleiter Aksyonov.
In the annexed Crimea, the task of the Crimean Berkut commander was to “detect and neutralize” terrorists (read Ukrainian activists and representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatars). Systematic raids and searches of homes, intimidation, and disappearances of pro-Ukrainian public figures are only a small part of the “official duties” of Shikhanov and his gang.
However, by chance, Shikhanov becomes unfit to serve in the ranks of the Russian special forces. The war criminal breaks his leg and is simply “written off”.
However, during the full-scale invasion, Colonel Shikhanov resurfaced in the ranks of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia), where he continues to serve “faithfully” under the criminal regime of the Kremlin’s leader. He is now responsible for overseeing the logistics of Rosgvardia militants participating in the war against Ukraine.
In particular, Shikhanov is responsible for securing additional funding for the purchase of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for the Russian Ministry of Defense. He is also tasked with analyzing the combat use of drones against Ukraine’s civilian population and advocating for the expansion of UAV units within the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia).
Interestingly, Shikhanov’s financial situation improved significantly after he began working in logistics for the Rosgvardia. On March 8, 2023, the colonel purchased a 70-square-meter apartment in Moscow, located at 13/57 Rabochaya Street, registering it in the name of his 25-year-old daughter, Daria Shikhanova.
You can stop the policy of the Russian invaders and their collaborators by publicizing their crimes and demanding their international prosecution. You can also participate in rallies in support of Ukraine or donate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
