- Video questions Ukrainian claims.
- Uncertainty surrounds Admiral’s fate.
- Ongoing tensions in Black Sea.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has released a video showing the commander of the Black Sea Fleet at a conference, despite Ukraine’s claims that he was slain.
It is unclear when the video was recorded, in which Viktor Sokolov appears via video link with the defence minister.
According to the ministry, the meeting with senior officials took place on Tuesday.
On Monday, Ukraine’s special forces reported that Adm Sokolov and 33 other officers were killed in a missile strike on the fleet’s headquarters in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea.
On Wednesday, a TV channel operated by the Russian Ministry of Defence broadcast an interview with Adm Sokolov in which he stated that the fleet was performing well.
It was unclear when the video was shot.
Kyiv has neither explicitly identified the admiral nor provided evidence of his death. Currently, it claims it is “clarifying” the allegations.
According to Ukraine’s special forces, 34 Russian officers were slain in a missile attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters.
Due to the condition of the body fragments, numerous [bodies] have not yet been identified.
This suggests that Ukraine is retreating after the Russian Defence Ministry’s video was released.
It now cites “open sources” to support its claim that the commander was one of the 34 in a statement.
This is an undeniable shift in tone from yesterday’s assurances. Rustem Umerov, the new defence minister of Ukraine, told CNN that if Adm Sokolov is dead, “it’s good news for everyone,” although this is not a confirmation.
There is a possibility that Ukraine targeted a crucial meeting in the centre of occupied Crimea based on intelligence.
The significance of last Friday’s strike cannot be minimized, but if Kyiv has exaggerated its purported accomplishments, it would be a careless error in this ongoing information war.
The eight-minute video purportedly depicts a Tuesday morning Defence Ministry collegium. In a conference chamber in Moscow, the Minister of Defence Sergey Shoygu is observed conversing with senior officials.
On multiple occasions, he is momentarily seen communicating via video link with the non-speaking commanders of Russia’s five fleets, including the Black Sea Fleet.
Facial recognition software identifies Adm Sokolov in the latest video.
On Friday, Ukraine claimed victory in striking the fleet’s headquarters, the Russian military’s best and Kyiv’s main target.
Social media footage depicted columns of smoke rising from the building. Russia stated that it had intercepted five missiles, though one service member went missing during the attack.
Recently, Ukrainian forces have launched near-daily attacks against Crimean-based Russian forces.
The Black Sea fleet represents Russia’s centuries-old military presence in the region and is used to attack Ukraine.
Before Russia illegally annexed the peninsula in 2014, it was situated in Crimea under a lease agreement.
