Deadly Morning Jog: Assassination of Russian Submarine Commander Stirs Conspiracy and Controversy
Submarine Commander Gunned Down
Overt Operator
July 11, 2023
The high-stakes game of covert operations appears to have claimed yet another victim as Stanislav Rzhitsky, a high-ranking Russian military official and former submarine commander, was gunned down on his routine morning jog. The incident, which took place early Monday in the southern city of Krasnodar, has sparked a frenzy of speculation and intrigue, hinting at the complexities of the simmering conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Rzhitsky, aged 42, found himself embroiled in controversy after his details and address appeared on Myrotvorets (Peacemaker), a Ukrainian-run website known for documenting alleged enemies of Ukraine. Shortly after Rzhitsky's assassination, his photograph on the site bore the label "Liquidated," printed in glaring red letters.
Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, made note of Russian media pointing fingers at Ukraine, yet remained tight-lipped about whether such suspicions were valid.
"So far Russian police cannot find a single surveillance camera that would show the crime being committed. The search continues," Gerashchenko commented, as he was quoted by Reuters.
Adding another layer to this cloak-and-dagger story, Baza, a Russian Telegram channel known for its connections to security services, suggested that the assassin could have trailed Rzhitsky via an app where he regularly shared his jogging routes and timings.
Rzhitsky held the position of deputy head of military mobilization in Krasnodar and was a former commander of the "Krasnodar" submarine in the Black Sea. State media and war bloggers confirmed he was shot four times, succumbing to injuries on the spot. The "Krasnodar" is a diesel-electric submarine, designed "to fight surface ships and submarines, lay mines, and conduct reconnaissance," according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
A Telegram channel used by self-proclaimed pro-Ukraine partisans, who have allegedly conducted hundreds of sabotage attacks inside Russia, suggested without evidence that Rzhitsky was involved in a submarine-launched cruise missile strike that took place in July 2022. This strike reportedly killed at least 23 individuals, including a 4-year-old girl, in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia.