The captain of a large Russian landing ship has been killed in the war in Ukraine, according to reports.
Captain Alexander Chirva died from wounds sustained in a battle with Ukrainian defenders, said the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev.
Capt Chirva was commander of the large landing ship Caesar Kunikov, part of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
“His courage, professionalism and experience saved the lives of the crew members,” said Razvozhayev without giving more detail of the circumstances of his death.
There were reports the Caesar Kunikov was damaged under Ukrainian fire on March 24, but it is unclear if this was the incident which led to the captain’s death.
The announcement follows the sinking of the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, Moskva, reportedly after it was hit by two Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles.
As a result, the head of the Black Sea Fleet Vice Admiral Igor Osipov, commander of the Black Sea Fleet, is believed to have been suspended or detained or both.
On March 20, it became known that Deputy Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Andrei Paliy, 51, had died in Ukraine.
He was killed during the battles for Mariupol.
Chirva, a 3rd rank captain, is from a naval family, and was married with a son.
His father was a Black Sea fleet commander, and his brother is a Lieutenant-Colonel in Russia’s land forces.
He was born in Sevastopol, and graduated from the Naval Institute of Radio Electronics.
In 2015 and 2016, he participated in Russia’s military operations in Syria.
