Former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, head of Roscosmos, Dmytro Rogozin, published the first photo from his hospital bed after being injured during an attack by Ukrainian forces on a hotel captured by Russian military in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, writes “Kommersant”.

“He who is ready to go to the end always wins. Everyone – have a good and fruitful day!” – wrote Rogozin on his page in VKontakte, the Russian analogue of Facebook, next to a photo in which he looks visibly aged and raised his left fist in the air.

Rogozin, who was replaced by Vladimir Putin as head of Roscosmos in mid-July, was injured on the night of December 21 as a result of an explosion at the Shesh-Besh restaurant in Donetsk, where the official was celebrating his birthday.

As a result of the explosion, two people died, including Rogozin’s aide Mykhailo Bridasov, and the so-called Prime Minister of the DPR Vitaly Khotenko was injured.

A day later, in a message published on his Telegram channel, Rogozin reported that a piece of metal measuring 8 by 6 millimeters had entered his right shoulder blade and he needed an operation.

Later, the former head of Roscosmos and vice-prime minister of Russia from 2011 to 2018 was taken to a hospital in Moscow, where he underwent surgery on December 26. Doctors said after the operation that a metal fragment had lodged above the shoulder blade near the spine.

Rogozin came under fire after he shared videos and photos in late November that he claimed were taken near the frontline, sparking a wave of irony, including on Russian social media after the former head of Roscosmos was seen dressed head-to-toe in military uniform NATO uniform. .

Rogozin, the former commander of the Donbas separatists was mocked

Shortly after Russian state media reported Rogozin’s wounding in Donetsk, he became the target of sarcastic messages from Igor Girkin, a former FSB officer who became commander of pro-Russian separatists in Donbas after the illegal annexation of Crimea.

In a post on his Telegram channel, which he called “Regarding the wounding of Mr. Rogozhin in the “region slightly behind the back”, Girkin noted that:

“Dear partners from Kyiv have once again demonstrated that they cynically do not intend to recognize anyone’s merits in the amazing preparation of the Russian Air Force for the current “special operations”. And despite the fact that Mr. Rogozin made a colossal contribution to our lack of information [culese] from space, even he was not allowed to celebrate his 59th birthday in a modest restaurant “Shesh-Besh” on the front line.

Girkin’s comments came in the context of the fact that, in addition to the position of director general of Roscosmos, which he held until the summer of this year, Rogozin was also responsible for the coordination of the Russian defense and arms industry during the 7 years in which he worked. former deputy prime minister.

“If the Kremlin dwarves were capable of learning from the lessons of others, I would give them some advice in this regard. But you can’t teach them anything. Therefore, I have nothing more to add. It can be advised that when you spend your time and vacation “on the front line” not in Donetsk, but in restaurants in Rostov – it is safer for now,” the former FSB officer also wrote in Telegram.

On November 17, in the Netherlands, Girkin, one of the harshest critics of the “special military operation” ordered by Vladimir Putin on February 24, was sentenced to life imprisonment for his participation in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

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