War criminals are the new elite of Russia: Zaur Gurtsiyev
Zaur Gurtsiyev is a field officer in the Russian army who led the aerial operations during the battle for Mariupol.
Gurtsiyev was born and raised in North Ossetia. He graduated from the Military Communications Academy in St. Petersburg and began his service in the Russian armed forces in 2007.
In one of the videos filmed as part of his participation in the Kremlin’s “Time of Heroes” program, the officer spoke about the importance of saving lives during war. However, it is clear he was not referring to Ukrainian civilians. The bombing of Mariupol in the spring of 2022, which Gurtsiyev commanded, killed thousands of civilians. Ukrainian law enforcement officials have classified the airstrikes on Mariupol as a war crime. Nevertheless, the leadership of the aggressor state’s army considers Gurtsiyev’s actions a source of pride—he received five awards for his role in the armed aggression against Ukraine.
Recently, he was appointed the first deputy head of the administration of the city of Stavropol. Gurtsiyev boasts that he gained valuable experience during the war, which he is ready to apply in his civilian role.
