The claim originated with the anonymous Telegram channel Nezygar and was echoed by Ukrainian outlets, which said the commander died in a strike on a command post on August 26. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian officials have confirmed the report.
Agentstvo noted a discrepancy: three weeks after the purported strike, the general's personal documents still appear as valid in state databases.
Ukrainian media first reported Milchakov's possible death in late August. Those reports also went unconfirmed by either side.
Meanwhile, the pro-war segment of Telegram is discussing the death of a different man. Pro-war blogger Anastasia Kashevarova said a certain "Hero" was killed at the front on the night of September 13, without naming him. A comment under a post by the channel "Roisya24/7" on Facebook later suggested the man was Alexei Milchakov, head of the DShRG "Rusich" unit.
Telegram channels picked up the claim, with "Belarus of the Brain" among the first. Z-blogger Aslan Rubayev wrote about Alexei Milchakov's death, citing a colleague. Mash, citing sources in the Rusich leader's circle, reported he was alive and well. Kashevarova said "disinformation is being injected" about the dead man and called for waiting for official statements.
Sergei Milchakov commands the 51st Guards Combined Arms Donetsk Army. In 2022 he headed the 1st Donetsk Army Corps, and in 2024 he was awarded the title Hero of Russia. According to Ukrainian media, Milchakov led operations to capture Avdiivka and New York in the Donetsk region.
The same Ukrainian outlets alleged that Milchakov organized a scheme to supply and distribute drugs among his subordinates, and that those who exposed the command's activities were sent on suicide missions.
Accounts differ: Nezygar and Ukrainian outlets report the death of 51st Army commander Sergei Milchakov in a strike on a headquarters in Donetsk, while state databases, according to Agentstvo, do not confirm his death through the validity of his documents. Some Z-channels speak of the death of Rusich head Alexei Milchakov, while others - Mash, citing Rusich's circle - call that information false. Kashevarova says disinformation is being injected about the dead "Hero" and urges waiting for official data.