The commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, was reportedly killed in a Ukrainian raid on the fleet’s headquarters in the Crimean town of Sevastopol last week, according to the Special Forces of Ukraine on Monday.
When contacted by Reuters to confirm or deny that Sokolov had died in the attack on Crimea, which Russia captured and annexed in 2014, the Russian Defence Ministry did not react right away.
The Russian Navy’s top brass were gathering in Sevastopol on Friday, according to the Ukrainian military.
“34 officers, including the Russian Black Sea Fleet commander, killed following the attack on the fleet’s headquarters. 105 other occupiers suffered injuries. The special forces stated on the messaging platform Telegram that the headquarters building could not be rebuilt.
It was not immediately clear how the Special Forces of Ukraine tallied the attack’s fatalities and casualties.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine 19 months ago, each side has occasionally inflated opponent losses while saying nothing about its own losses.
The Ukrainian attack was verified by Russian-installed officials on Friday, who claimed that at least one missile hit the fleet headquarters.
As Ukrainian forces continue their almost four-month-old counteroffensive to retake Russian-occupied territory, Kyiv has increased its attacks in the Black Sea and Crimea.
(Reuters)
