A bomb detonated in a park in Sevastopol, Crimea, reportedly killed a Russian military officer whom unofficial Telegram channels have named as former Ukrainian submarine commander Robert Shageev, who allegedly defected after Russia's 2014 annexation. Authorities say the device was hidden in a trash can and detonated remotely; a woman has been arrested. Sevastopol's governor accused Ukrainian intelligence of ordering the attack, while Kyiv has not commented. Officials also reported a separate blast that killed five people clearing suspected explosives.
Bombing in Sevastopol Reportedly Kills Ex‑Ukrainian Submarine Commander Identified by Unofficial Sources
Russian naval flags are seen on the Zaporizhzhia' former Ukrainian submarine moored in the bay of the Crimean port of Sevastopol on April 17, 2014. A Ukraine defense ministry spokespersontold CNNthat the Zaporizhzhia had been taken over and placed under the flag of the Russian naval fleet when its commander abandoned it. - Yuriy Lashov/AFP/Getty Images
A bombing in Sevastopol, Crimea, has reportedly killed a Russian military officer who, according to unofficial sources, previously served as a Ukrainian submarine commander and defected to Russia after the 2014 annexation.
Russian officials said the attack was targeted and that a woman has been arrested on suspicion of carrying it out, though state authorities did not immediately release the victim's name. Unofficial Telegram channels have identified the dead officer as Robert Shageev, who is reported to have commanded Ukraine's only submarine, the Zaporizhzhia, before 2014.
State television channel Russia 24, citing the Federal Security Service (FSB), said the explosive device had been hidden inside a trash can in a park off Stoletovsky Prospekt in western Sevastopol and was detonated remotely as the officer walked by. Sevastopol's governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, wrote on Telegram that the suspect acted "on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence agencies." Kyiv has not publicly commented on the allegation.
"The suspect acted on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence agencies," Razvozhayev wrote on Telegram, according to Russian reports.
Reports note that in 2014 the Ukrainian defence ministry said the submarine Zaporizhzhia had been seized and placed under the Russian naval flag after its commander abandoned the vessel. The identification of the victim as Shageev comes from unofficial Telegram channels and has not been independently verified by international media or Ukrainian authorities.
Related Incidents
Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of involvement in other killings, including the deaths of two Russian generals in Moscow in April and December 2025, according to official statements. Separately, Razvozhayev said another explosion in Sevastopol killed five people — four Russian service members and one security guard — who were trying to clear an area of suspected Ukrainian bombs when one device detonated.
Investigations are reportedly ongoing. Independent verification of many details remains limited, and international outlets have urged caution while official inquiries continue.
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