BBC reported the information.The authors note that Storozhenko submits reports on the pace of the assault on Kupiansk, which are then sent to the Russian Chief of General Staff, Valeriy Gerasimov.According to the outlet, Storozhenko was born in the village of Murafa in Kharkiv region. He studied at the Intelligence Faculty of the Kyiv Ground Forces Institute and then served in the 36th Coastal Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy, rising from company commander to brigade commander. He also served as deputy commander of the Ukrainian contingent in Kosovo as part of KFOR forces.The article states that Storozhenko defected to Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. According to the source, a week after the so-called “referendum” on the peninsula’s status, Storozhenko received a Russian passport. Later, in temporarily occupied Crimea, the collaborator headed the newly formed 126th Coastal Defense Brigade.Storozhenko himself said that during Russia’s annexation of Crimea, acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov and then-Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk contacted him to ask about his plans and intentions. According to him, he took no action and submitted his resignation. However, his former colleagues claim he actively encouraged surrendering weapons and defecting to Russia and played a “double game” with the Russians.“I think in 2014 he was given an offer he could not refuse. The 36th Brigade held out while General Ihor Voronchenko, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Navy’s coastal defense, was there, but as soon as he left, various arrangements began. Russian soldiers who blockaded the brigade even used its bathhouse. There were schemes for taking humanitarian aid from the unit using the brigade commander’s vehicle. I think they simply corrupted him. He was a good officer and cared about his reputation, but when life tests you, he failed,” shared Vladyslav Selezniov, former spokesperson for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Crimea and military analyst, familiar with Storozhenko.As of February 24, 2022, the collaborator led the headquarters of Russia’s 35th Army of the Eastern Military District, which took part in the early months of fighting in Kharkiv region. According to the American Institute for the Study of War, by early June 2022, this army was virtually destroyed in battles for Izium.Selezniov said Storozhenko also issued orders for missile strikes on Sumy.The outlet notes that in 2023, Russian leader Vladimir Putin issued a decree promoting Storozhenko to lieutenant general. He now commands Russia’s 6th Army, participating in offensive operations in Kharkiv region, including in the Kupiansk area.It was previously reported that a Russian intelligence officer who oversaw the so-called Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs during the occupation of Kherson was sentenced to life in prison in absentia.