The commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet attended a Russian Defense Ministry video conference on Tuesday, a day after Ukraine claimed he was killed in a September 22 missile strike on the fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea.
The Russian Defense Ministry released footage that showed Adm. Viktor Sokolov virtually attending a meeting led by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. In response to Sokolov appearing at the meeting, Ukraine’s special operations forces, which claimed he was dead on Monday, said it would “clarify” information about the missile strike.
“As is known, 34 officers were killed as a result of a missile attack on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. Available sources claim that the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet was among the dead. Many still have not been identified due to the disparity of body fragments,” Ukraine’s special operations forces said on Telegram.
“Since the Russians were urgently forced to publish an answer with an apparently alive Sokolov, our units are clarifying the information. This is happening within the procedure for collecting data on the results of the operation,” they added.
While Kyiv claims 34 Russian officers were killed in the strike, the Russian side has not confirmed any deaths. According to Russia’s TASS news agency, the Russian Defense Ministry only said one serviceman was missing after the strike. Ukrainian sources have told media outlets that the September 22 attack used British-provided Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
Ukraine has significantly stepped up attacks on Crimea amid its faltering counteroffensive. The September 22 missile strike came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Canada following his visit to Washington, where he pushed for more US aid.
Saying one person is missing says nothing about those not missing, alive or dead.
I’ll wait.
Alex Mercouris says on YouTube that Ukraine has been criticized for its wasteful use of missiles. Here they used a bunch of Storm Shadow missiles, each with a cost of more than $3 each, to attack a building that was virtually empty. So what to do? As Mercouris says: Justify the attack by claiming someone high up was killed – not just an officer, but the commander of the entire Black Sea Fleet.
Crimea is full of bunkers by the way, most built during Soviet times, and it’s inconceivable that they’d hold a meeting with all the top officers at the same time in a building that would be easy to bomb.
So, two more lies from Ukraine – that they bombed a meeting of the top commanders, and that the head of the entire fleet was killed. But we are used to lies from Bidensky by now.
Reminiscent of our own military in Iraq, where the “one legged” “terrorist leader” Zarqawi was reported killed in strikes, numerous times – until he finally was killed, at which time we discovered he actually had – TWO legs. Our pentagon press whores are just as dishonest as anyone else’s.
Yes, Mercouris is the disbarred lawyer by Barrister for disseminating falsehoods and forging documents few years ago. Now a pro Russian propagandist that gets donations from Kremlin supporters.
Has been wrong many many times on statements about Ukraine.
How does he know the building was empty?
So one video shown by the Kremlin is all the evidence we need to determine he is still alive?
And what’s wrong with Ukraine using expensive Storm Shadows to destroy a legitimate and perhaps the most protected military building in Crimea?
Do you whine when Russia uses the teleporting Kinzhal missiles against Ukranian civilian infrastructure?
BTW: remember when earlier this year the Kremlin claimed it had killed Zaluzhnyi and Budanov?
Were Russians lying then?
The “Kremlin” didn’t claim that.
No, only the State News and propagandists they control.
England/France has a very limited supply of Storm Shadow/Scalp missiles. Using them to attack empty buildings was foolhardy. That’s one of the things that happens when somebody else is footing the bill.
Crocodile tears for the millions of pounds/Euros squandered for this publicity stunt.
This is clear, unequivocal evidence that the Russians are engaged in the unholy Magick of Necromancy by reanimating their dead commander! NATO must respond to this outrage engaging in active hostilities against Russia immediately!
We must not have a necromancy gap!
Ukraine lies like Rain…!
“As is known, 34 officers were killed” – the source of this knowledge is Kiev propaganda. They needed some achievement to support Zelensky’s visit to America. The standing ovation in Canadian parliament demonstrated NATO solidarity with Ukrainian Nazism but it is not enough. Kiev regime needs money, not just a demonstration of solidarity.
I’m more inclined to think that the Canadian parliament demonstrated ignorance than solidarity with Nazism.
It would be politically embarrassing to ask each member, on camera, if they even knew who Yaroslav Hunka was before they voted.
Kudos to Anthony Rota for resigning as Speaker of Parliament when he discovered what he had done.
It is absurd to suggest that all members of parliament participated in standing ovations to someone they know nothing about. He is just one of two thousands veterans SS Galichina who were relocated after WW II from Europe to Canada. All of them were protected by Canadian state. By the way, this particular war criminal was introduced to Canadian parliament as hero who fought Russians. Are you inclined to think that all members of Canadian parliament are idiots who have no idea about WW II? Don’t they know against whom fought Russians in WW II?
The plain fact is that the rabid Russo-phobia is always ending up with admiration of Nazis.
Yes. I am inclined to think they are all idiots in this instance. But you could be right.
Antiwar.com published this after I made the above reply to you:
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/27/trudeau-tribute-vet-wwii-nazi-apology-00118436
“Freedom and Democracy” compel all of us to forgive and forget our constant lies. Those stupid and evil Russians don’t have a sense of humor and don’t forgive lies. But, They “were urgently forced to publish” a “‘Dead’ Russian Admiral Shoved in Front of the Cameras to Prove He Survived…” What is Putiiiin going to stoop to next? Use nuclear weapons to “save lives?” (Sarcasm)
Whenever a public relations whore begins a speech saying “as is known”, one should be prepared to question every single word that follows. Maybe they hit the Black Sea fleet HQ, and maybe they caused some casualties, but I am not going to “believe” it just because some professional liar, and his western media shills, announce it. He has as much credibility as our own Karine Jean Pierre.
Ukrainazia isn’t capable of clarifying the result of what 2 +2 is.