A high-ranking Russian naval officer, Captain Valery Trankovsky, was killed Wednesday in a car bomb attack in Sevastopol, Crimea. Ukrainian agents reportedly carried out the bombing, which targeted Trankovsky, chief of staff of the 41st Missile Brigade of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
The improvised explosive device was placed under Trankovsky’s car and detonated in the early morning in Sevastopol’s Gagarin district. Sevastopol’s governor confirmed the location, while Russia’s Investigative Committee verified the fatality.
A car exploded in occupied Sevastopol – the driver was killed
According to preliminary data, an explosive device was detonated in the car. The driver’s legs were torn off, he died of his injuries.
Local media say that in the blown up car could be a captain of the 1st rank of… pic.twitter.com/GwODVMa9PW
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 13, 2024
Crimean Telegram channels report that a vehicle was blown up in Russian-occupied Sevastopol. Allegedly, a captain of the 1st rank of the Russian Black Sea Fleet was in the car. He was killed.
According to media reports, a car with an improvised explosive device flew into the… pic.twitter.com/LSYcbhY1f2
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) November 13, 2024
Witnesses reported seeing the driver thrown onto the passenger seat by the explosion’s impact, indicating the bomb was strategically placed under the driver’s side. The detonation also sent shrapnel into surrounding vehicles, though no additional injuries were reported. Russian media revealed that Trankovsky’s legs were severely injured, and he ultimately died from blood loss before emergency personnel arrived.
The operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine. Ukrainian sources have asserted that Trankovsky was considered a “war criminal” by Kyiv, alleging he played a role in directing missile strikes from the Black Sea Fleet against civilian targets in Ukraine. Such strikes, facilitated by Black Sea naval assets and strategic bombers, have led to numerous civilian casualties in Ukraine.
Russian authorities confirmed the incident as an act of terrorism and have opened an investigation.
