Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Viktor Sokolov (Bottom L), appeared in a video conference despite being ‘killed’ by Ukraine the day before (Picture: Russia MOD)
The commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet seemed to appear in a meeting of Moscow’s top brass today- despite Ukraine’s special forces claiming to have killed him the day before.
In video and photographs released by the Russian defence ministry, Admiral Viktor Sokolov was shown apparently taking part in a video conference with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other top admirals and army chiefs.
The Admiral appeared to blink during the meeting but he was not seen speaking, and sat in a chair that looked different to other naval commanders.
The ‘appearance’ came after Vladimir Putin’s spokesman declined to comment on claims that Sokolov had been killed.
The meeting was broadcast on Russian state TV (Picture: Russia MOD)
Ukraine claimed on Monday that Sokolov was one of 34 officers killed in a devastating missile strike on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
The Russian footage today left open the possibility that old video of the commander had been superimposed on a meeting chaired by Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian armed forces.
But Ukrainian telegram channel Crimea’s Wind reported the existence of the Russian footage and said it seemed Sokolov had ‘attended the board of the Ministry of Defence’.
It added: ‘It’s a pity of course.’
Ukraine also claimed that 105 military personnel had been wounded in the strike on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters.
Putin-loyal Russian Telegram channels immediately claimed Ukraine had been caught lying.
Admiral Viktor Sokolov was the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet (Picture: Russia MOD)
‘We can say that the enemy’s statement [from] the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces that the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, died during the destruction of the Fleet headquarters building in Sevastopol is not true,’ said Grey Zone.
Military Informant channel said: ‘The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, appeared at today’s meeting of the board of the Ministry of Defence.
‘Earlier, the Ukrainian media and intelligence claimed that Sokolov allegedly died as a result of a strike on the fleet headquarters in Sevastopol.
‘The point is that the command staff has not been in the headquarters building for a long time, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces is also well aware of.
’So no commander….could have died there [nor dozens of officers].’
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces – which had stated on Monday that Sokolov was among the dead from the Black Sea Fleet headquarters missile strike – today issued a statement saying: ‘Available sources claim that among the dead was the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet [Admiral Viktor Sokolov].
‘Many have still not been identified due to the scattered fragments of their bodies.
‘Since the Russians were urgently forced to publish a response with Sokolov supposedly alive, our units are clarifying the information.
‘This occurs as part of the procedure for collecting data regarding the results of the operation.’
The statement repeated its claim that 34 Russian military personnel had been killed in the strike, a figure which Russian sources have rejected.
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