A man killed in an explosion in Sevastopol: he may be a former commander who defected to Russia
On August 13, a man was killed in an explosion in temporarily occupied Sevastopol. Ukrainian Telegram channels speculate that he may be the former commander of the Ukrainian Navy submarine 'Zaporizhzhia', Robert Shageev, who switched to the Russian side after the occupation of Crimea. There is currently no official confirmation of the victim's identity.
According to Astra, the explosion occurred on Stoletovsky Avenue. Preliminary information suggests that the explosive device was planted in a trash bin near a bench and detonated when two men were passing by.
One of the men received fatal injuries and died at the scene. There is no information on the condition of his companion. Eyewitnesses said the explosion was so powerful that it was initially thought to be a drone strike on a residential building.
The pro-Kremlin channel Mash claims that a woman with a backpack who was between buildings No. 28 and No. 30 may have been following the victim. Russian media also reported the arrest of a suspect, but the occupation law enforcement authorities have not publicly disclosed the circumstances of the incident.
Who is Robert Shageev
Robert Shageev was a captain 1st rank of the Ukrainian Navy and commanded the only Ukrainian submarine 'Zaporizhzhia'. According to the State Bureau of Investigations, in 2014 he defected to Russia and continued service in the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Ukrainian law enforcement accused Shageev of treason and desertion, and his case was sent to court. Neither Ukrainian state bodies nor the occupation authorities of Sevastopol have yet confirmed that he was the one killed in the explosion.
