00:07A deadly explosion in occupied Crimea has claimed the life of a former Ukrainian naval
00:13commander, raising fresh questions over a possible targeted killing. Robert Shagahev,
00:20the former commander of Ukraine's only submarine, the Zaporizhia, was killed in an
00:25explosion in Sevastopol on August 13. The blast struck in broad daylight, and within hours,
00:32sharply different versions of the killing began emerging from Russian and Ukrainian sources.
00:38One side is calling it a terrorist attack. The other is portraying the victim as a
00:43high-profile defector who turned against Ukraine.
00:50Robert Shagahev once commanded Ukraine's navy's only submarine, the Zaporizhia. He held command of
00:57the vessel before Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. But after the Russian takeover, Ukrainian accounts
01:04say Shagahev surrendered the submarine without resistance. He later defected and swore
01:11allegiance to Russia. Russian sources subsequently identified him as a Captain First Rank and Deputy
01:18Commander of the 4th Separate Submarine Brigade. That transformation, from Ukrainian naval commander
01:24to Russian military officer, made him a deeply controversial figure in Ukraine.
01:30Ukrainian outlets had branded Shagahev a traitor. They accused him of continuing military service
01:36with Russia and alleged that he was involved in operations against Ukraine. Some Ukrainian reports
01:43went further, accusing him of directing or supporting missile attacks against Ukrainian cities.
01:49Those allegations have not been independently established in the available reporting,
01:54but they help explain why Shagahev became such a politically and militarily sensitive figure
02:00after the annexation of Crimea. And now, his death has brought his controversial past back into the spotlight.
02:08The blast occurred on Stolotovsky Prospect in Sevastopol. According to Russian telegram channels,
02:14including Astra, MASH, and VCK OGPU, an explosive device had been hidden near a trash bin or a bench.
02:23Shagahev was reportedly walking down a set of stairs with another person when the device detonated.
02:28The explosion was powerful enough to kill him instantly. Witnesses reportedly heard a loud blast.
02:35Some initially believed the explosion could have been connected to another drone attack.
02:39But Russian reports quickly began treating the incident as a deliberate assassination.
02:45Russian sources claimed authorities detained a woman suspected of planting or triggering the explosive device.
02:52Some reports said local residents had briefly detained a woman carrying a backpack near the scene.
02:58Later accounts suggested she may have been released following questioning.
03:03Russian sources alleged that the attack had been organized on orders from Ukrainian intelligence.
03:08But those claims have not been independently verified.
03:12There was also no immediate official confirmation from Ukraine accepting responsibility for the killing.
03:18That leaves a major question surrounding the blast. Who ordered it, and why?
03:24The incident has already become a battle over competing narratives. Russian sources are portraying the explosion as a terrorist attack,
03:33allegedly organized by Ukrainian services. Ukrainian media, meanwhile, have framed the killing as a targeted strike against a former Ukrainian
03:42officer,
03:42who defected to Russia and was accused of helping military operations against Ukraine.
03:48Neither narrative has been independently established.
03:51And with Sevastopol under Russian control, investigators are operating in an environment where access to the scene and independent verification
04:00remain limited.
04:01The killing also highlights the dangers surrounding Russian military personnel, Ukrainian defectors, and alleged collaborators in occupied Crimea.
04:11The peninsula has repeatedly seen reports of explosions, sabotage, and attacks targeting Russian military figures and officials.
04:19Ukraine has not publicly claimed responsibility for every such incident, but the pattern has intensified the sense that the conflict
04:27is not confined to the battlefield.
04:29The war is being fought through covert operations, intelligence networks, and targeted attacks deep behind the front lines.
04:38For Shagahev, the story began with Ukraine's only submarine.
04:42He commanded the Zaporizhzhia under the Ukrainian flag.
04:45After Russia's annexation of Crimea, he switched allegiance and continued his career within Russia's military structure.
04:53More than a decade later, he is dead in a targeted explosion in Sevastopol.
04:58The identity of those responsible remains officially unresolved.
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