A contract soldier from Kotovo was killed in a military operation.

Vitaly Goncharov was killed in combat in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the military operation, at least 1,730 soldiers from the Volgograd region have been officially recognized as killed in it.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," by March 22, at least 1,729 soldiers from the Volgograd region had been officially recognized as killed in the military operation in Ukraine.

08:25 21.03.2026

The number of soldiers from southern Russia killed in the North Caucasus Federal District has exceeded 8,900

At least 4,384 soldiers from the North Caucasus Federal District and 4,519 from the Southern Federal District have been officially recognized as killed in the military operation in Ukraine.

54-year-old contract soldier Vitaly Goncharov from Kotovo was killed in the military operation, according to the Volgograd publication "City News", founded by the municipal institution "IAV".

"Vitaly Goncharov served with the rank of junior sergeant with Call sign "Sledgehammer." In April 2025, contact with him was lost. Since then, his relatives have been trying to determine his fate. The family learned of the soldier's death in February. […] Vitaly Goncharov is survived by his wife and 10-year-old daughter," the publication states.

Thus, at least 1,730 soldiers from the Volgograd region have been officially recognized as killed in the military operation.

"Caucasian Knot" maintains a list of names of natives of the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts killed in the military operation. The list was compiled based on data officially released by government officials and law enforcement agencies, according to the Caucasian Knot report "Northern Military District Statistics: Casualties Mounting in Southern Russia."

State awards, memorial plaques, and appearances on Channel One do not guarantee state support for the families of the slain, according to the Caucasian Knot report "Three Comrades Served: How Authorities Are Denying Benefits to Families of Slain Volunteers," which describes the stories of the slain soldiers. "Staff from the St. Petersburg administration and the military registration and enlistment office themselves inquired from me whether my son's body had been found. In January 2023, I told them in response to another call that the body had been found and that I was on my way to get it," the mother of one of the slain soldiers said.