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White House refuses to comment on death of Black Sea Fleet commander previously reported killed

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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the White House is aware of reports of footage showing Admiral of the Black Sea Fleet Viktor Sokolov alive despite Ukraine previously reporting him dead.

"We’ve seen the reports, and certainly we are — we are aware of the video.  I just don’t have anything to confirm at this time.  But obviously, we’re aware of the reports."

Russia's Defense Ministry published a video on Sept. 26 of a meeting between military leadership with Admiral Sokolov, previously reported by Ukraine as killed, joining the meeting through a video call. The Kyiv Independent couldn't immediately verify the date the meeting took place.

Sokolov is only seen on the screen and does not speak throughout the video.

The Special Operations Forces Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces announced that last week's strike against the Black Sea Fleet's headquarters in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea killed 34 Russian officers, including Sokolov.

Ukraine war latest: Another Russian command post reportedly hit; Supposedly dead Russian general shown alive
Key developments on Sept. 26: * Ukraine reportedly hits Russian command post in occupied Kherson Oblast * Russian overnight attack damages infrastructure in Odesa Oblast * UK Defense Ministry: Strikes on Black Sea Fleet hinder Russia’s blockade capabilities * Polish investigation concludes Ukra…
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Rachel Amran

News Editor

Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.

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