diff --git a/sdcm/cluster.py b/sdcm/cluster.py
index bc6fcec54c..5010e335f2 100644
--- a/sdcm/cluster.py
+++ b/sdcm/cluster.py
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ def cpu_cores(self) -> Optional[int]:
         return None
 
     @property
-    def scylla_shards(self):
+    def scylla_shards(self) -> int:
         """
         Priority of selecting number of shards for Scylla is defined in
         <dist.common.scripts.scylla_util.scylla_cpuinfo.nr_shards> and has following order:
@@ -3405,18 +3405,20 @@ def destroy(self):
         for node in self.nodes:
             node.destroy()
 
-    def terminate_node(self, node):
+    def terminate_node(self, node: BaseNode, scylla_shards: int = 0) -> None:
+        # NOTE: BaseNode.scylla_shards uses SSH commands to get actual numbers which is not possible on a dead node.
+        #       In such cases, a caller needs to get the number of shards before the node dies and provide it.
         if node.ip_address not in self.dead_nodes_ip_address_list:
             self.dead_nodes_list.append(DeadNode(
                 name=node.name,
                 public_ip=node.public_ip_address,
                 private_ip=node.private_ip_address,
-                ipv6_ip=node.ipv6_ip_address if self.test_config.IP_SSH_CONNECTIONS == "ipv6" else '',
+                ipv6_ip=node.ipv6_ip_address if self.test_config.IP_SSH_CONNECTIONS == "ipv6" else "",
                 ip_address=node.ip_address,
-                shards=node.scylla_shards,
+                shards=scylla_shards or node.scylla_shards,
                 termination_time=datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f"),
-                terminated_by_nemesis=node.running_nemesis))
-
+                terminated_by_nemesis=node.running_nemesis,
+            ))
         if node in self.nodes:
             self.nodes.remove(node)
         node.destroy()
diff --git a/sdcm/cluster_k8s/__init__.py b/sdcm/cluster_k8s/__init__.py
index 19e9b08b7c..efeea05399 100644
--- a/sdcm/cluster_k8s/__init__.py
+++ b/sdcm/cluster_k8s/__init__.py
@@ -2709,36 +2709,13 @@ def _delete_k8s_rack(self, rack: int):
         racks.pop(rack)
         self.replace_scylla_cluster_value('/spec/datacenter/racks', racks)
 
-    def terminate_node(self, node: BasePodContainer, scylla_shards=""):  # pylint: disable=arguments-differ
-        """Terminate node.
-
-        :param node: 'node' object to be processed.
-        :param scylla_shards: expected to be the same as 'node.scylla_shards'.
-            Used to avoid remoter calls to the target node.
-            Useful when the node is unreachable by SSH on the moment of this method call.
-        """
-        if node.ip_address not in self.dead_nodes_ip_address_list:
-            self.dead_nodes_list.append(DeadNode(
-                name=node.name,
-                public_ip=node.public_ip_address,
-                private_ip=node.private_ip_address,
-                ipv6_ip=node.ipv6_ip_address if self.test_config.IP_SSH_CONNECTIONS == "ipv6" else '',
-                ip_address=node.ip_address,
-                shards=scylla_shards or node.scylla_shards,
-                termination_time=datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f"),
-                terminated_by_nemesis=node.running_nemesis,
-            ))
-        if node in self.nodes:
-            self.nodes.remove(node)
-        node.destroy()
-
     def decommission(self, node: BaseScyllaPodContainer, timeout: int | float = None):
         rack = node.rack
         rack_nodes = self.get_rack_nodes(rack)
         assert rack_nodes[-1] == node, "Can withdraw the last node only"
         current_members = len(rack_nodes)
 
-        # NOTE: "scylla_shards" property uses remoter calls and we save it's result before
+        # NOTE: "scylla_shards" property uses remoter calls, and we save its result before
         # the target scylla node gets killed using kubectl command which precedes the target GCE
         # node deletion using "terminate_node" command.
         scylla_shards = node.scylla_shards