Dead or alive?
The Russian Defense Ministry released video of the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet participating at a meeting the ministry said took place Tuesday, the day after Ukraine officials said he had been killed last week in an attack on a Russian naval base in Crimea.
Admiral Viktor Sokolov was shown speaking with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other officials via video link.
"Since the Russians were urgently forced to publish a response with a seemingly living Sokolov, our units (are working to) clarify the information," Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said in a social media post.
I'm Nicole with the latest news on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We'll discuss the questions about the commander. But first, here are a few things to know about the war:
- Turkey is likely to approve Sweden's NATO bid if the U.S. follows through on plans to sell F-16s to Ankara, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
- Russia drones slammed the Danube River city of Izmail in southwestern Ukraine, wounding at least two people and burning a warehouse and dozens of trucks, local authorities said.
- A top Russian official warned that Ukraine must surrender on Moscow's terms or the country will "cease to exist," and Ukraine claimed to have killed a top Russian admiral in Crimea as the war dragged into its 20th month with no solution in sight.
Is Sokolov dead or alive?
The Ukraine military had claimed in a Telegram post Monday that Sokolov died during an attack on the fleet headquarters in Sevastopol.
The post said 34 "officers" were killed and more than 100 Russian troops were wounded in the attack Friday. Russian officials acknowledged the strike but have not commented on casualties from the assault, which Ukraine said destroyed the building.
Meanwhile, John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, says U.S.-built Abrams tanks that began arriving in Ukraine last week will be a boon to Kyiv's push to take back land seized by Russian troops.
"They will give Ukrainian troops a lot more mobility, a lot more speed and certainly a lot more firepower to break through some of those Russian defenses," Kirby said.
But a retired Russian colonel is getting widespread coverage in Russia for his opinion that U.S.-made Abrams tanks that began arriving in Ukraine last week are "nothing special" and will have no impact on the war. Viktor Litovkin said the tanks are too heavy and will get stuck in the Ukrainian mud, becoming a "motionless target" for Russian artillery and grenade launchers.