Russian Black Sea Fleet commander was killed in Crimea missile strike, Ukraine says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Sep. 25, 2023, 8:52 AM EDT


Ukraine said Monday it has killed the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in a missile strike on the naval headquarters in occupied Crimea. It comes days after an attack that left the building smoldering, the latest salvo in a mounting effort to target the Kremlin’s naval forces and isolate the annexed peninsula.

Kyiv did not provide evidence for the claim, which NBC News has not verified, but if confirmed it would be one of the most high-profile losses of the war so far.

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said in a post on Telegram that “the commander” of the Black Sea Fleet was among 34 officers who died in the strike on the fleet’s headquarters in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on Friday.

The commander of the fleet is Viktor Sokolov, although the Ukrainian statement did not name him directly. Rumors had circulated among Ukraine-watchers all weekend that Sokolov had been killed. NBC News has contacted Russia's defense ministry for comment.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russian-black-sea-fleet-commander-sokolov-killed-ukraine-strike-crimea-rcna117133

[ImNotGod]

1. Hello russia, this is nbc news, can you confirm that commander sokolov fell out of a window?

[IronLionZion]

2. Commander Sokolov was promoted to an underground mission

the same way Russian warships get promoted to permanent submarine status

[Lonestarblue]

3. And the first shipment of US Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine.

Now to get those longer-range missiles there ASAP.

[niyad]

4. Slava Ukraini! Thank you for the update.

[Kennah]

5. Transferred to the Moskva submarine

[BobTheSubgenius]

6. Thanks to Western tech, and the shocking incompetence of the Russian military,

Ukraine is doing remarkably well against Goliath.

I dread Russia directly targeting a NATO country, because Russia's only recourse would be nuclear in the face of an all-out war with NATO. I doubt that Russia could make even the pretense of a conventional war against just the US, let alone the alliance. It wouldn't last a month, and nukes are Putin's last card to play.

[Eugene]

7. Ukraine is now "clarifying" the report.

Viktor Sokolov: Russian video 'shows Black Sea fleet commander alive' (BBC)

Russia's Defence Ministry has released a video showing the Black Sea Fleet's commander at a conference, despite Ukraine claiming to have killed him.

It's not clear when the footage, where Viktor Sokolov appears on a video link with the defence minister, was filmed.

The ministry said the meeting with senior officials happened on Tuesday.

Ukraine special forces said on Monday Adm Sokolov and 33 other officers died in a missile strike on the fleet's HQ in Sevastopol, occupied Crimea.

They did not name the admiral directly, nor did they offer any evidence that he had died. They now say they are "clarifying" the reports.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66926400