The commander of the Russian Black Sea fleet, Viktor Sokolov, was seen participating in a video conference on Tuesday, a day after Ukrainian special forces said they had killed him, according to media reports. Reuters.
In videos and photographs released by the Russian Defense Ministry, Sokolov appears to be participating in a video conference with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other admirals and army commanders. The video was broadcast on Russian state television.
According to ReutersUkrainian special forces said Monday they killed Sokolov along with 33 other officers in a missile strike last week against the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol.
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the Ukrainian statements, referring journalists to the Ministry of Defense.
In a video released by the ministry, Sergei Shoigu said that in September, more than 17,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and more than 2,700 weapons were destroyed, including seven American Bradley fighting vehicles.
“The Ukrainian armed forces are suffering serious losses along the entire front line,” Shoigu said, adding that the Ukrainian counter-offensive has not yet brought any results.
The Russian Defense Minister further accuses the Kiev regime of “throwing untrained soldiers into the slaughter in senseless attacks.”
The Ukrainian counteroffensive has not yet resulted in significant territorial gains against Russian forces, which still control about 17.5% of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory, according to Reuters.