Valeriy Trankovsky, the chief of staff of the 41st brigade of missile ships and boats of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, has been eliminated in Sevastopol, the blowing up of his car was a successful operation of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), a source in the Service told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Today's explosion in Sevastopol of the car of Valery Trankovsky, head of the headquarters of the 41st brigade of missile ships and boats of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, is a successful special operation of the SBU. As a result of the detonation, the Russian captain's legs were torn off, he died of blood loss," the SBU’s interlocutor said on Wednesday.

According to the source, Trankovsky gave orders to launch cruise missiles from the Black Sea at civilian targets in Ukraine. In particular, he fired at Vinnytsia with Kalibrs in July 2022. Then 29 civilians were killed.

He also repeatedly gave orders to shell Odesa and other cities, which killed many civilians.

"He was a completely legitimate target in terms of the laws and customs of warfare," the SBU source said.

He also added that Russian websites have been telling about the surveillance of Trankovsky for about a week and the remote activation of an improvised explosive device.

"It is symbolic that a Russian war criminal, who has the blood of dozens of peaceful Ukrainians on his hands, ended his inglorious life on Taras Shevchenko Street in Sevastopol. It is only a matter of time before the punishment for the atrocity is paid. No occupier or murderer can feel safe, no matter where he is," the source stressed.