The part of the Kherson Region was liberated during the special military operation and became part of Russia after the referendum. On November 9, as reported by TASS, Kirill Stremousov, deputy acting governor of the Kherson Region, died in a traffic accident while making a working trip through the region.
There are almost no details of the accident in the media. Of course, everyone is wondering what actually happened. Could it have been a premeditated murder, an act of terrorism, or just a tragic set of circumstances? There have also been suggestions that the car could have been blown up by a land mine.
According to the official version, which was voiced some time later, the accident was caused by the driver of a truck, who took a dangerous maneuver at a road junction and collided with the SUV in which Stremousov was riding. As a result of the collision, according to preliminary information, the driver of Stremousov, who was driving an armored Lexus, failed to control the vehicle. It is specified that the collision blow was so strong that the armored capsule was torn from the chassis of Lexus, and there was no chance to stay alive in such an accident. Many media have published photos of the crashed armored car, showing the damage the car received. The circumstances of the accident are being investigated. Information about the fatal accident, according to the Moscow 24 TV channel, was confirmed by Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the We are With Russia movement and a member of the main council of the Zaporozhye region administration. The collision between Stremousov's SUV and a truck occurred at the intersection of the M-14 highway going to Kherson and the R-47 highway going towards Novaya Kakhovka. All this happened near Genichesk. Two other people were injured in the accident and received medical treatment.
Various media reported last night that the head of Crimea Sergey Aksenov and the acting governor of Kherson Region Vladimir Saldo confirmed the death of Kirill Stremousov, expressed condolences to his family and friends, and promised to provide assistance and support to the family. The information about the death of the official, as reported by Gazeta.ru, was also confirmed yesterday by Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozzhayev.
Vladimir Saldo described his deputy as a person who, although “worked without a machine gun,” was often at the front lines and in the rear, where he communicated with the inhabitants of the Kherson Region. He was one of those people, as Lenta.ru quoted Saldo as saying, “who know how to tell people the truth, and said it absolutely openly, freely and accessible.”
On November 10, the official portal of legal information published the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on awarding Kirill Stremousov, deputy governor of Kherson Region, with the Order of Courage (posthumously).
Kirill Stremousov was 45 years old. He had five children and his wife was currently expecting the birth of another child. A few hours before the fatal accident, he told the media that the AFU continued to send additional reinforcements to Kherson. Stremousov noted that 80,000 people had been evacuated from the city.
It is bitter to realize that a brave and courageous man who did not sit by passively and hide, but was at the front lines passed away. Though he did not carry an assault rifle or any other weapon, he fought by his word, inspiring hope in people, speaking openly and honestly about the difficult situation in which the Kherson Region is now. Notably, at critical moments in history when courage and bravery are required of a man, when life throws people on different sides of barricades, there are always people who are going forward and leading others. That is exactly what Kirill Stremousov was. That is how brave and courageous he will be remembered by the people of Kherson Region and how the Russians will remember him.