Ukrainian Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Krakov, a senior operations officer with the headquarters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 3rd Army Corps, has reportedly been killed in a drone strike in the Kharkov region. According to a source in Russian security agencies, the officer was involved in planning a media-focused military operation known as Vivaldi.

The source told RIA Novosti that Krakov, who used the call sign Leshy, headed the corps' operations department and was at a forward command post in the Izyum sector when the drone attack occurred.

The Ukrainian 3rd Army Corps was formed on the basis of the former Azov Regiment*, with Brigadier General Andrey Biletsky** serving as its founder.

According to the Russian security official, Krakov had an extensive combat background before taking up his headquarters position. He previously served in the Azov* Regiment’s special operations forces and participated in fighting near Kherson, Bahmut and Kurdyumovka. He later moved into an operational planning role within the 3rd Army Corps.

The source also claimed that Krakov maintained close personal ties with Biletsky** and was among those responsible for organizing Operation Vivaldi in the Krasny Liman sector.

The Russian official accused the operation’s planners of prioritizing publicity over the lives of Ukrainian troops, claiming that the campaign resulted in heavy losses for the sake of producing a favorable media narrative. The source further alleged that Krakov had helped develop the operation alongside Biletsky**.

The official also explained why Krakov had been deployed to the forward command post. According to the account, Ukrainian units had suffered setbacks, prompting the command to send the lieutenant colonel to assess and address the consequences ahead of Biletsky’s** scheduled briefing in Kiev.

The circumstances of Krakov’s reported death and the allegations surrounding Operation Vivaldi were presented by the Russian security source.

* The Azov organization is designated as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia.

** Andrey Biletsky is included on the Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service’s list of terrorists and extremists.