A high-profile former head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos has left hospital care after undergoing surgical treatment, and plans to rejoin front-line advisory duties in mid-January. The plan is to lead a group known as the Wolves of the Tsar, a unit described as military advisers rather than formal troops.
In recent statements, the ex-head indicated that during the December attack on the Shesh-Besh hotel in Donetsk, two members of the Tsarskie Wolves detachment, Mikhail Bridasov and Vladimir Huseynov, were killed. He also noted that four additional advisers sustained serious injuries, and Rogozin himself sustained wounds.
On January 4, he disclosed via a messaging channel that a fragment from a personal recording had been sent to Pierre Levy, the French ambassador to Russia, with a request to deliver it to the French president. The message described a fragment removed from his spine after surgery and claimed that it should be conveyed to Emmanuel Macron. It also asserted that leaders from France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other NATO members bear responsibility for alleged war crimes in Donbass.
The account further claimed that shrapnel from a 155 mm artillery round pierced his right shoulder and lodged near his fifth cervical vertebra, suggesting close margins of life and paralysis. The blast was said to have killed or seriously harmed two of Rogozin’s associates.
Earlier, on December 21, Rogozin marked a birthday at the Shesh-Besh Hotel in Donetsk, where Ukrainian artillery reportedly opened fire on the venue. Observers described the scene as a targeted strike, noting that the hotel had not hosted a confrontation for years. A journalist who attended the event described how the site appeared to be under scrutiny by local scouts, and that direct fire hit a building used by attendees. The incident has fueled discussions about the tactical use of 155 mm NATO-caliber artillery by the opposing forces.
Among those present at the gathering were Vitaly Khotsenko, the chair of the self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic, who arrived just moments before the explosion. Some analysts interpreted the event as signaling a wider artillery campaign by the opposing side, while others cautioned that such conclusions require verification through independent sources.
Reports from participants indicated that Bridasov, who was serving as a bodyguard for Khotsenko, died in the shelling, while Rogozin sustained shrapnel injuries to various parts of the body. Some outlets described injuries to Rogozin as mild, while others cited more severe penetrating wounds to several areas, prompting ongoing debate about casualty details. A deputy affiliated with the Donetsk Parliament suggested that the attack involved a deliberate use of force against a high-profile assembly. Further accounts referenced by observers describe the incident as an attempt to instill a strategic signal through artillery.
According to unnamed officials and local reporters, the restaurant area was sparsely populated at the time, and the event was followed by footage showing a modest buffet setup rather than a formal banquet. The narrative from some participants emphasized the presence of Rogozin and his close circle as key figures who were in proximity to the affected zones. While there were denials about certain injuries, others affirmed the possibility of multiple shrapnel strikes that targeted the group identified as Tsarskie Wolves.
Observers noted the difficulty in verifying the precise trajectory and impact of the fragments, as well as the absence of official medical updates detailing every injury. The discussion around Rogozin’s condition continues alongside broader debates about the strategic implications of the Donbass conflict and the role of prominent figures in its broader narrative. A military correspondent reported that Rogozin had described several shrapnel impacts in his public statements, with varying degrees of severity described by different sources. This mix of accounts underscores the challenges of obtaining independent confirmation in a volatile conflict zone.