A former Russian Black Sea submarine commander has reportedly been shot dead by an assassin while he was out jogging.
Stanislav Rzhitsky, 42, was killed by a gunman in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, Russian state media reported on Monday.
Mr Rzhitsky was commander of the Russian’s Navy’s Krasnodar submarine, which was allegedly behind a deadly cruise missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, which left at least 23 civilians including three children dead.
Staff at a medical centre, and a four-year-old girl were among victims of the Russian missile strike last July.
Reports have suggested Mr Rzhitsky’s assassination could have been an act of retribution for the attack, which hit an office block, a medical centre and damaged residential buildings, and was slammed as “an open act of terrorism” by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It emerged on Tuesday that Mr Rzhitsky had been on his regular morning run when he was shot dead. His route was pubicly displayed on exercise app Strava.
According to reports, he was found in the street with multiple gunshot wounds, to his back and chest.
TASS reported on Monday that Mr Rzhitsky’s attacker had escaped, and a murder case had been launched.
“Stanislav Rzhitsky, a deputy head of the municipal mobilization department has been killed in Krasnodar,” said TASS, quoting a law enforcement spokesperson.
“Tentatively, the man suffered several gunshots from an assailant, who then made a getaway. The motive for the crime is being established. Work is underway to identify the assailants.”
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Krasnodar is a diesel-electric submarine built for the Black Sea fleet and designed “to fight surface ships and submarines, lay mines, and conduct reconnaissance”.
It is unclear whether Mr Rzhitsky was the current captain of the submarine at the time of his death.
