In a remarkable turn of events, Russian police have just detained a suspect in the murder of a submarine commander.
Video captures armed police breaking into a home in Tuapse, in Krasnodar’s southern region, and smashing the windows in an effort to find Sergei Denisenko.
Forces could be seen pointing their weapons at the 64-year-old as he cowered on the kitchen floor in only his pants.
He is charged with shooting dead former naval commander Stanislav Rzhitsky on Monday morning in Krasnodar.
Half-naked ‘assassin arrested after shooting dead Russian sub captain’
Several Russian media outlets speculated the 42-year-old may have been tracked via his profile on the Strava fitness app.
His address, picture and personal details had appeared on the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets (Peacemaker), a vast unofficial database of people considered to be enemies of Ukraine.
Earlier today, the word ‘Liquidated’, in red letters, had been superimposed on his photograph on the site.
Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency published details of the incident on its website, without claiming responsibility or saying how it obtained the information.
It said Rzhitsky died on the spot when an assassin fired seven shots at him from a Makarov pistol as he was running in a deserted city park at around 6am.
The statement read: ‘The submariner was jogging in the 30th Anniversary of Victory park in Krasnodar.
‘Around 6 am he was shot seven times with a Makarov pistol. As a result of the gunshot wounds, Rzhitsky died on the spot.
‘Due to heavy rain, the park was deserted, so there were no witnesses who could provide details or identify the attacker.’
Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Major-General Kyrylo Budanov today issued a statement to deny his agents were responsible for the killing, which he blamed on internal Russian anti-war activists.
‘We know that the roots of what happened yesterday in the Russian Federation must be sought within Russia itself, where internal protest against the war in Ukraine is growing,’ he said.
Russia’s state Investigative Committee confirmed it had arrested a suspect in his early 60s who was found in possession of a pistol and silencer, along with money, and posted the video.
Denisenko, a karate teacher who was born in Ukraine and still has connections there, is now being interrogated as a ‘suspect’, the committee said.