On the morning of November 13th, a bomb exploded in a car with Captain 1st Rank Valery Trankovsky, Chief of Staff of the 41st Brigade of Missile Ships and Boats of the russian Black Sea Fleet. The attack was planned and executed by the Security Service of Ukraine, an SSU insider told Ukrinform.
The explosion tore off the officer's legs and he died of blood loss, the source added, noting that Tarkovsky was "a war criminal who gave orders to launch cruise missiles from the Black Sea at civilian objects in Ukraine."
Read more: russian Occupiers Use Abandoned Military Base in Crimea to Disperse Forces
Specifically, under his orders the city of Vinnytsia was shelled with Kalibr cruise missiles in July 2022, killing 29 civilians; he also repeatedly shelled the southern port city of Odesa and other cities. "He was a legitimate target in terms of the laws and customs of war."
SSU representative also cited russian media outlets saying that Trankovsky had been under surveillance for a week before the strike, delivered via a remotely-activated improvised explosive device. The attack found him on a parking lot in Sevastopol, russian-occupied Crimea.
In Sevastopol, Crimea, partisans blew up a car with an officer of the Russian Black Sea Fleet inside. The owner of the car, a captain of the 1st rank, died on the spot. (naval equivalent of a colonel). pic.twitter.com/F4qNivnRnX— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) November 13, 2024
On a note from Defense Express, Kalibr missile attacks from the Black Sea have been a significant threat to Ukraine since the outbreak of russia's invasion in 2022. Although less effective than other cruise weapons due to high interception rates, Kalibrs have an enormous attack range of 1,500 km, granting russians freedom to choose launch locations and making possible even long-range attacks from the Caspian Sea.
Most of the carriers are usually stationed at the naval base in Novorossiysk or roaming towards Crimea and back due to the threat of Ukraine's sea drone attacks. A few got relocated to the Caspian Sea flotilla. Still, the potential total salvo exceeds 60 missiles at a time, posing a threat to the military and civilian infrastructure of Ukraine.
Earlier Defense Express reported that a recent aerial drone attack scared nearly all ships, including Kalibr missile carriers, off the Caspian Naval Base.
Read more: russia Withdrew Nearly All Ships, Including Kalibr Missile Carriers, After Ukrainian Strike on Caspian Naval Base (Satellite Images)
