The Ukrainian Armed Forces killed a Russian colonel who defected from Ukraine in 2014
According to the project “The Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People,” Ukrainian defense forces in the Kherson sector eliminated Russian Army Colonel Alexander Isaev. He is a native of Mykolaiv and previously served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but defected to Russia in 2014. According to the project, the strike against Isaev was carried out using an FPV drone.
Ukrainian defense forces struck Alexander Isaev, commander of the 8th Artillery Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces. According to the “Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People” project, the Russian colonel was killed in the Kherson region using an FPV drone. This refers to a military officer who served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine prior to the start of the Russian aggression. In 2014, during the occupation of Crimea and the onset of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Isaev defected to Russia.
According to the project, at the time of his death, he commanded the 8th Artillery Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces, military unit No. 87714. The unit operated in the coastal tactical sector as part of the Russian Army’s “Dnipro” task force.
Isaev began his service in Ukraine
Oleksandr Isaev was a native of Mykolaiv. According to the “Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People,” he began his military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine as early as 1992. By 2014, Isaev had risen to the rank of chief of staff—first deputy commander of the 406th Separate Brigade of the Coastal Artillery Group of the Center for Coastal Defense Forces of the Ukrainian Navy. This brigade was part of the Ukrainian Navy and carried out coastal defense missions. It was during the events of 2014 that Isaev, according to the cited data, decided to defect to Russia.
He subsequently continued his military career in the Russian Armed Forces. He was appointed chief of staff—deputy commander—of the 8th Artillery Regiment of the 22nd Army Corps of the Russian Federation’s Black Sea Fleet. Thus, the soldier, who began his service in the Ukrainian army, was assigned a position in a Russian military unit after defecting to Russia.
What Happened to Isaev in 2015
In 2015, according to the project’s data, Isaev was discharged to the reserve. His military career, however, did not end there. In October 2022, he returned to active duty. After that, Isaev once again took part in Russia’s war against Ukraine, this time on the side of the Russian army. In other words, after the start of the full-scale invasion, he found himself once again among the Russian troops fighting against Ukraine.
In September 2024, Isaev was appointed commander of the 8th Artillery Regiment. At that time, he was promoted to the rank of colonel. According to the project’s data, he was leading this very unit at the time of his death.
What is known about the 8th Artillery Regiment
The 8th Artillery Regiment is part of the Russian military structure affiliated with the 22nd Army Corps of the Russian Federation’s Black Sea Fleet. Russia uses artillery units to shell Ukrainian positions and other military targets. According to the “Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People,” Isaev’s unit operated on the coastal tactical front as part of the Russian “Dnipro” group.
Russian troops are using this group on the southern front of the war against Ukraine. Its area of responsibility includes, in particular, sections of the front in the Kherson region and adjacent sectors. Artillery regiments are of vital importance to the Russian army, as they provide fire support for ground units. That is why the commanders of such units are key military targets.
How Isaev Was Eliminated
According to the project “The Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People,” Isaev was eliminated by an FPV drone strike in the Kherson region. FPV drones are actively used by both sides in the war. Operators can guide these drones directly toward a specific target, adjusting their flight path in real time.
On the front lines, FPV drones are used against military equipment, fortifications, positions, and personnel. They have become one of the most common weapons on the front lines. In Isaev’s case, according to the source, it was an FPV drone that the Ukrainian military used to strike the Russian commander. No other details of the operation—including the exact location of the strike, the time, or the circumstances—were disclosed in the report.
From a Ukrainian Officer to a Russian Army Colonel
Isaev’s story is notable first and foremost for his previous service in Ukraine. In 1992, he began his military career in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. More than two decades later, he had already risen to a leadership position in a Ukrainian military unit. But in 2014, according to the source, Isaev defected to Russia. He then continued his service in the Russian army. He later returned to active duty after being discharged to the reserves, was promoted to the rank of colonel, and took command of an artillery regiment.
After the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, he continued to serve in the Russian forces. According to the “Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People,” he was killed in action in the Kherson region. Thus, his military career spans the period from his service in the Ukrainian army to his command of a Russian Armed Forces unit participating in the war against Ukraine.
What is known about his death
Information about the death of Oleksandr Isaev was made public by the “Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People” project. The report states that he was killed by a strike from a Ukrainian FPV drone in the Kherson region. However, at the time of writing, there is no separate confirmation of this information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in the cited sources.
Therefore, the fact of Isaev’s death and the circumstances of the strike should be reported correctly by citing the source that reported it. The exact details of the operation may become known later. According to the same source, at the time of his death, Isaev held the rank of colonel and commanded the 8th Artillery Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces. His death marks yet another instance of Ukrainian forces targeting Russian commanders in the southern sector.
Key Points
Oleksandr Isaev was a native of Mykolaiv who had served in the Ukrainian army since 1992. In 2014, according to the “Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People,” he defected to Russia and continued his service in the Russian Armed Forces. After returning to active duty in 2022, Isaev participated in the war against Ukraine. In 2024, he took command of the 8th Artillery Regiment with the rank of colonel.
According to the project, in September 2026, the Ukrainian military eliminated him with an FPV drone strike in the Kherson region. Further details regarding the operation and the circumstances of his death may emerge following additional official confirmation. This information comes from the project “The Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People.”
In the Strilkove area of the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region, reports indicate that four targets housing Russian security forces were struck simultaneously. According to monitoring channels, 15 officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) were killed in the strike, and about 30 others were wounded.
As of September 22, 2026, the Ukrainian military had eliminated 1,230 Russian occupiers over the past 24 hours. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has updated the data on Russian troop losses.
