Latest: SBU behind car bombing that killed Russian navy officer in Crimea, source says
A car exploded on a city street in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea on Nov. 13, killing a military service member behind the wheel, according to Russian-installed proxy head Mikhail Razvozhayev.
While it remains unclear who was behind the incident, several Russian officers involved in the war against Ukraine have been found dead under suspicious circumstances in Russia or Russian-occupied territories throughout the full-scale war.
First responders from the Russian Emergency Ministry arrived on the scene by 9:59 a.m. local time, only six minutes after the explosion. Despite their efforts and the rapid transfer of the driver to an ambulance, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
Razvozhayev confirmed that the deceased was a military officer and indicated that the explosion’s cause remains under investigation, noting that "the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out."
The Telegram channel Baza identified the serviceman as 47-year-old Valery Trankovsky, a captain of the 1st rank in the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Trankovsky had previously served as chief of staff for a missile boat brigade involved in the war in Ukraine, with its vessels launching Kalibr missile strikes.
Russian media outlet Mash claims that Trankovsky had been under surveillance for roughly a week and that an improvised explosive device (IED) was placed under the driver's side of his car and allegedly detonated remotely.
Ukraine has not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.
Kateryna Denisova
(Updated: )
