Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on Nov. 19 announced the detention of two residents of Russian-occupied Crimea in connection with a car bombing in Sevastopol on Nov. 13 that killed Russian Navy officer Valery Trankovsky.
A source from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent at the time that Trankovsky was responsible for missile strikes against Ukrainian cities and his killing was a result of an SBU operation.
According to the FSB, a 38-year-old resident of Sevastopol tracked Trankovsky’s car, while a 47-year-old resident of Yalta reportedly constructed and placed an improvised explosive device under the vehicle.
Authorities claimed to have found 1.2 kilograms of explosives, equivalent to TNT, in the 47-year-old suspect's garage.
Trankovsky was chief of staff of the 41st Missile Boat Brigade and a "war criminal who has ordered cruise missile launches from the Black Sea against civilian sites in Ukraine," the source said.
The officer was allegedly responsible for the Kalibr missile strike against the city of Vinnytsia in July 2022 that killed 29 people and injured over 200 more. He also oversaw strikes against Odesa and other cities, leaving many civilians dead, the source said.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of Russian military officers involved in the war against Ukraine being killed in Russia or Russian-occupied territories.
Martin Fornusek
