Russian Black Sea Fleet commander seen at meeting after Ukraine said it killed him

State media outlets also reported Sokolov’s virtual attendance at the meeting, though they did not say exactly when the meeting took place.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined twice to answer questions about Sokolov in his daily briefing with foreign journalists, instead directing questions to the Defense Ministry.

Kyiv did not provide evidence for the claim that it had killed the fleet’s commander, which would make Sokolov one of the most high-profile losses among Russia’s military top brass since the war began.

Sokolov has led the fleet since August last year, the result of a major reshuffle after the sinking of its Moskva flagship.

He rose through a series of posts in the Pacific and Northern fleets, serving as deputy commander in the latter, according to Russian state media.

From 2020 he headed a prestigious military academy before taking command of the Black Sea Fleet.

Sevastopol’s port is the main base of the fleet, which has been used to launch attacks deep into Ukraine.

Kyiv has been waging its own campaign of strikes against Russian targets, increasingly hitting the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Shortly after Friday’s missile strike there, Moscow said that one of its service members was killed and that its defenses intercepted five missiles. It later updated to say that the serviceman was missing.

During the meeting released Tuesday, Shoigu gave an update on Russia’s invasion and the creation of eight new military training centers to fast-track new recruits into the armed forces.

He also said that Kyiv’s counteroffensive on the battlefield was failing. “The Ukrainian armed forces are suffering serious losses along the entire front line,” Shoigu said.

Russia’s bombardment of key infrastructure continued, with strikes on ports and agricultural centers late Monday, Ukraine said.