The death of a Russian submarine captain who was also the deputy head in charge of military mobilization in the city of Krasnodar in southern Russia was reported by Russia's state-run TASS news agency, which cited law enforcement organizations as its source.
The Russian and Ukrainian online media said that Rzhitsky was shot four times while out for a morning run in a sports facility.
Who is Stanislav Rzhitsky?
TASS reports that the official, Stanislav Rzhitsky, was shot and died on Monday morning, July 10. A criminal investigation into his death has been launched.
Local Ukrainian online news agencies have also reported that the murdered official was the captain of a Russian Black Sea Fleet submarine that fired Kalibr cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets, as per Al Jazeera's report.
According to TASS, Rzhitsky was the captain of the Russian Navy submarine Krasnodar, which was named after the city. It was not apparent whether he was still the submarine's commander when he was killed.
Russian Ministry of Defense said the Krasnodar is a diesel-electric submarine that was constructed for the Black Sea Fleet. Its primary functions include the engagement of surface ships and submarines, the laying of mines, and the performance of reconnaissance missions.
2022 Submarine-Launched Missile Attack
Reportedly, Rzhitsky was responsible for the July 2022 submarine-launched missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, which killed 23 people, including three children.
When pressed for an explanation of last year's missile strike, Russia said its submarine-launched missiles had aimed at a gathering of Ukrainian air force leaders and representatives of Western weapons suppliers.
The missile strike on the city, which murdered citizens going about their normal routine, was described as "an open act of terrorism" by the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
European Union officials called the fatalities in Vinnytsia an "atrocity," and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed "appalled" shock at the news.
Accountability was demanded by both the UN and the EU.
Liza Dmitrieva, a 4-year-old girl with Down's syndrome, was one of the three girls murdered when she and her mother were on their way to visit a speech therapist.
Iryna Dmitrieva, Liza's mom, was in a terrible car accident and is now struggling for her life.
Ukraine-Russia Conflict
In one of the latest updates on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin has chosen to dust up its post-World War II tanks and throw them into the intensifying war with Ukraine.
In a desperate bid to alter the course of the conflict, the Kremlin sends out its oldest and most obsolete tanks.
Russia has sent 1950s-era T44 and T-55 tanks to Ukraine's front lines. Rusted World War II tanks should benefit Russian forces.
Russia's desperate action follows Ukraine's recent advances, which have retaken many significant cities in recent days.
