Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and one of Russia’s most senior navy officers, appeared in a video conference on Tuesday, a day after Ukrainian special forces said they had killed him in a missile attack.
The video, released by the Russian defense ministry, shows Sokolov apparently taking part in a video conference with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other top admirals and army chiefs.
The video was shown on Russian state television.
Ukraine’s special forces said on Monday they had killed Sokolov, Moscow’s top admiral in Crimea, along with 33 other officers in a missile attack last week on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had declined to comment on the Ukrainian claim, referring reporters to the defense ministry.
The release of the video by the Russian defense ministry appears to be an attempt to refute Ukraine’s claim that Sokolov was killed. However, the timing of the video’s release and the fact that it was shown on Russian state television raise some questions.
It is possible that the video was recorded before Sokolov was killed. However, it is also possible that the video was recorded after Sokolov’s death and that the Russian defense ministry is trying to cover up his death.
It is also worth noting that the video does not show Sokolov’s face clearly. This could be due to poor video quality or it could be an attempt to conceal his identity.
The conflicting reports about Sokolov’s death raise more questions about the state of the war in Ukraine. It is possible that Russia is trying to hide its losses or that Ukraine is exaggerating its successes.
It is also important to note that the video of Sokolov’s alleged participation in a video conference does not necessarily mean that he is alive. It is possible that the video was edited or that it was recorded before Sokolov’s death.
The only way to know for sure whether or not Sokolov is alive is to wait for further confirmation from Russia or Ukraine.