Ukrainian serviceman Evgeny Kot, whom Ukrainian sources had described as one of the most skilled operators of the American HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, has been killed in the zone of the special military operation.

According to military blogger Ruslan Tatarinov, Kot died on March 14 in Kharkov Region following a strike by Russian forces. The attack reportedly hit a HIMARS launcher, destroying the system along with its crew. Kot was inside the American-made MLRS at the moment of the direct strike and did not manage to leave the impact area.

Tatarinov noted that before the conflict began, Kot ran a restaurant business in Khmelnitsky. In February 2022, he voluntarily joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and later became one of the media figures associated with the use of Western-supplied weapons. Ukrainian outlets frequently featured him in reports as an example of efficiency and professionalism in operating Western military equipment.

The destruction of the HIMARS launcher and its operator marks another episode in a series of strikes targeting long-range Western systems supplied to Kiev by its partners. Russian forces continue to target HIMARS and similar platforms in the combat zone.