Former Russian submarine officer, embargoed by Ukraine, fatally shot during morning jog in Russia
Stanislav Rzhitsky, a Russian military officer, was shot dead on Monday in Krasnodar, Russia. The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation, but Rzhitsky has been linked to activities related to the conflict in Ukraine.
According to various reports, Rzhitsky served as deputy head of military mobilisation in Krasnodar and previously commanded the "Krasnodar" submarine in the Black Sea. These details have been reported by Russian state media and war bloggers, although the specifics of his role in Ukraine-related incidents are often limited or contested.
Rzhitsky's death occurred in a city park around six in the morning, when seven shots were fired at him from a Makarov pistol. The suspect in his murder has reportedly been arrested by Russia's state Investigative Committee.
In the days following the incident, Rzhitsky's personal details, address, and picture were published on the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets (Peacemaker), with the word "Liquidated" superimposed on his photograph. The website is known for maintaining an unofficial blacklist of alleged war criminals, and Rzhitsky had previously been listed on this blacklist.
Reports suggest that Rzhitsky's movements were tracked through an app where he posted details of his regular jogging route in Krasnodar. A Telegram channel linked to security services claimed, without evidence, that Rzhitsky was suspected of involvement in a submarine-launched cruise missile strike in July 2022 that killed at least 23 people, including a four-year-old girl in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia.
It is important to note that Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency has published details of the killing on its website, without claiming responsibility or stating how they obtained the information. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the attacks, while Kyiv has denied involvement, suggesting the attacks are the result of Russian infighting.
This assassination is not the first instance of violence against pro-war Russian figures in Russia. Bomb attacks killed journalist Darya Dugina last August and war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in April. At least two other pro-war Russian figures in the Myrotvorets database have been assassinated inside Russia since Russian forces invaded Ukraine nearly 17 months ago.
The complex and sensitive nature of Russia-Ukraine military dynamics means that information about officers like Rzhitsky can be sparse, contested, or part of classified intelligence. Further investigations are likely to be required to understand the full story behind Rzhitsky's death and his alleged involvement in Ukraine-related incidents.
The shooting death of Stanislav Rzhitsky in Krasnodar, Russia, has once again brought war-and-conflicts to the forefront of general-news, as Rzhitsky was linked to activities related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Following the incident, his name appeared on the Myrotvorets (Peacemaker) website, a platform known for maintaining an unofficial blacklist of alleged war criminals, which suggests a connection to politics and crime-and-justice.
