Ukraine staged the death of a high-ranked Russian fighting on Kyiv's side to prevent him being killed on Moscow's orders and lure out those involved in the plot, Ukrainian military intelligence announced on Thursday.

How Ukraine's military intelligence faked the death of Denis Kapustin, a Russian commander fighting for Kyiv. HUR has published video of Kapustin's staged "death," which the agency used to collect a $500,000 bounty. The video shows a drone strike on a minibus with Kapustin inside.

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-- The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) Jan 2, 2026 at 12:26 PM