Russian Black Sea Commander Proven Alive Despite Ukraine's Claim of Killing

Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was shown attending a video conference with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other top admirals and army chiefs, a day after Ukrainian special forces claimed to have killed him. The Russian defense ministry released video and photographs of Sokolov's participation, countering the Ukrainian claim. In the video, Shoigu stated that over 17,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in September, and more than 2,700 weapons, including American Bradley fighting vehicles, had been destroyed. The Ukrainian counter-offensive has not resulted in significant territorial gains against Russian forces, who control about 17.5% of Ukraine's internationally recognized territory.