In a significant escalation of conflict on the Crimean peninsula, Ukraine has reportedly executed a targeted attack that resulted in the death of a senior Russian military officer. A source within Ukraine’s security services disclosed to AFP that the operation designates a new phase in the ongoing conflict, characterized by systematic efforts to eliminate high-ranking Russian officials believed to be instrumental in military actions against Ukraine.
The deceased has been identified as Valery Trankovsky, a first rank captain in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Ukrainian authorities have labeled him a “war criminal,” attributing responsibility for the launch of cruise missile attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine during the ongoing hostilities. According to the source, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) employed a car bomb in a strategic strike in the city of Sevastopol, targeting Trankovsky directly.
The explosion occurred in Sevastopol’s eastern Gagarin district around 0700 GMT, leading to a devastating outcome. Russian-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev confirmed the incident, stating, “As a result of an improvised explosive device fixed to the bottom of the car exploding, a Russian armed forces serviceman was killed.” While the Russian Investigative Committee has initiated inquiries into the attack, they have not officially named Trankovsky in their reports.
Eyewitness accounts detail the severity of the blast, with one witness describing how the driver was violently thrown from the seat due to the explosion’s force, leading to immediate recognition of the devastating event. The bomb was reportedly placed on the underside of the driver’s seat, and although shrapnel from the explosion damaged several nearby vehicles, there were no additional injuries recorded.
This attack is part of a broader trend in Ukraine’s efforts to neutralize Russian military leadership and pro-Kremlin officials within territories under Russian control. Just last month, Ukrainian forces claimed responsibility for a similar car bomb incident that killed an official associated with the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Earlier in April, another car bomb targeted a Moscow-appointed government official in the eastern Lugansk region, further demonstrating Ukraine’s tactical shift toward using explosive devices against key individuals involved in Russian military operations.
The recent events signal a deepening confrontation, accentuating Ukraine’s resolve to retaliate against forces that constitute its perceived aggressors, while also raising the stakes of an already volatile situation in the region.
