Russian navy officer responsible for strikes on civilians killed in SBU operation, source says

The car bombing that killed Russian Navy officer Valery Trankovsky in occupied Sevastopol on Nov. 13 was an operation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent.

The statement came shortly after Russian authorities in occupied Crimea reported on a military service member dying following the blast.

Trankovsky was chief of staff of the 41st Missile Boat Brigade and a "war criminal who has ordered cruise missile launches from the Black Sea against civilian sites in Ukraine," the source said.

The Russian sailor died due to a blood loss after the blast tore off his legs, according to the source.

The officer was allegedly responsible for the Kalibr missile strike against the city of Vinnytsia in July 2022 that killed 29 people and injured over 200 more. He also oversaw strikes against Odesa and other cities, leaving many civilians dead, the source said.

According to Russian Telegram channels, Trankovsky held the rank of captain of 1st class.

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.

Several Russian officers involved in the war against Ukraine have been found killed in Russia or Russian-occupied territories throughout the full-scale war. Most recently, Major Dmitry Pervukha was killed in the center of Russian-occupied Luhansk after his car exploded on Oct. 18.

Pervukha was allegedly involved in war crimes against Ukraine. He served in the 273rd Intelligence Center of the Russian Armed Forces.

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The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova