After much discussion in recent days about Ukraine targeting a meeting of leaders of the Black Sea Fleet, journalist Jessica Berlin revealed a surprise by reporting from informed sources that Fleet Commander Viktor Sokolov was killed in a Ukrainian airstrike in Sevastopol. Berlin indicated that Sokolov personally ordered missile strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine and could have been accused of war crimes had he survived. She added that this high-profile operation demonstrates the effectiveness of Ukraine's intelligence and armed forces and the disastrous situation for Russia.
It is noted that the Russian army appointed Admiral Viktor Sokolov as the new commander of the Black Sea Fleet, based in Crimea, about a year ago, succeeding Admiral Igor Osipov. On Friday, Ukraine launched a missile strike on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, located in the center of Sevastopol, Crimea, according to a local official who expressed fears of another strike. The governor appointed by Russia in the Sevastopol administrative region, Mikhail Razvozhayev, wrote on Telegram that "the enemy launched a missile attack on the fleet's headquarters." He pointed out that the toll of potential victims is being assessed and that debris fell near the adjacent Lunacharsky Theatre.
Russian state agency TASS reported that a large number of ambulances headed to the scene and published photos showing a building engulfed in flames. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is stationed at the port of Sevastopol, one of the command centers for Russian operations against Ukraine. On July 31, 2022, six people were injured due to a drone strike on this headquarters, a grand white classical-style building located in the heart of Sevastopol near parks and museums frequented by many visitors.
The Crimean Peninsula, particularly Sevastopol, has been targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes against ships and military infrastructure in defiance of Russian naval and aerial defenses for several weeks now.
### Who is Sokolov?
Sokolov was born on April 24, 1954, in Klimovsk, Russia. He is a former cyclist who has participated multiple times in the Summer Olympic Games and won an Olympic medal.
