Atonic coma
The death of Igor Mangushev, known by the call sign “Bereg,” who led the LNR Merkats People’s Militia unit, was reported to RIA Novosti by a close associate, musician and war correspondent Akim Apachev.
“He died. Yesterday, together with his wife Tatyana, I visited Igor in the hospital. The doctors said that he is in an atonic coma. This is described as the final stage of coma. The bullet pierced the brain’s center and traveled a long way. The brain wanted to keep him alive, but there was no hope,” Apachev explained.
Apachev noted that Mangushev never regained consciousness in the hospital. The case was handed to the Investigative Committee, with the assistant suggesting that the responsible party was already identified and the details would be clarified by authorities.
The death of “Bereg” was confirmed by Vladimir Grubnik, who runs the Telegram channel “Prizrak Novorossia,” and by military commander Yuri Kotenok.
“Today, 08/02/23 at 6:12, Igor Mangushev, known as Bereg, died,” according to Grubnik’s channel.
Shot at close range
On February 4, it became known that Mangushev sustained a head wound from a short-barreled firearm and was transported to the neurosurgery department in Stakhanov. Mangushev’s longtime friend Apachev later spoke to RIA Novosti, saying he was shocked by the events.
“Bereg” was placed under care by Stakhanov’s neurosurgeon after a blunt gunshot wound to the head. Doctors described his condition as serious and stable, though there was a concerning negative trend.
Reports indicate the wound came from a nine-millimeter pistol fired at close range, impacting the occipito-parietal region. Media outlets cited injuries claimed to be sustained from combat near Russian forces in Stakhanov. Mangushev’s wife confirmed the close-range firing and noted the bullet lodged in his head.
Several Telegram channels noted Mangushev’s recent collaboration with businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin and his co-founders in the private military domain, commonly associated with Wagner PMC.
Who is “the beach”?
According to Kommersant, Mangushev led the anti-drone unit within the LPR People’s Militia. A volunteer, Vladimir Grubnik, described him as the captain of the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Army Corps, part of the 8th Army of the Russian Armed Forces, leading a detachment focused on countering unmanned aerial vehicles.
Following the decision to reintegrate the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics into the Russian Federation, the DPR and LPR forces became part of the Russian military structure. Mangushev had been active in Donbass conflicts since 2014. He operated a Telegram channel called “Notes of an Adventurer,” boasting around 55,000 subscribers, and identified himself as a political strategist.
Known as Bereg, he is associated with the private military company ENOT, described as a coalition linked to the broader concept of united community groups, which met legal trouble within Russia due to criminal cases opened against its members in 2018.
In August 2022, Mangushev drew wide attention when he appeared on stage with a human skull, which he claimed belonged to a Ukrainian soldier killed at Azovstal. He presented a controversial stance asserting that Ukraine is an anti-Russian state and articulated hostility toward Western military assets, including discussions about destroying aircraft carriers.
He is also linked, by some sources, to the Bright Russian association that monitors immigrant locations in Moscow and passes information to law enforcement agencies.