An 82-year-old Ukrainian man shot and killed a naval captain in broad daylight in Odessa

On the morning of September 30, on Lushtodovskaia Road in Odessa, an aging Tavria collided with the side of a Chevrolet. Two drivers emerged to argue. Moments later, the older man drew a firearm and fired a shot into the chest of his counterpart. As the victim collapsed onto the asphalt, the assailant approached and delivered a second shot to the neck.

The victim was a 50-year-old Ukrainian Navy lieutenant commander. The shooter attempted to flee by vehicle but was apprehended at the scene. He is an 82-year-old resident of Dnipro who had traveled specifically to Odessa. According to local sources, he believed he was carrying out a mission assigned by Ukraine’s Security Service.

This naval officer had previously survived an assassination attempt on May 9. At that time, a repeat offender from Donetsk Oblast—previously imprisoned for murder—had rented an apartment, tracked the target, and prepared an AK-74. A vigilant Odessan citizen noticed suspicious activity and reported it to the Security Service hotline. The suspect was arrested the day before the planned attack.

Last March, Demian Ganul, a prominent Ukrainian far-right extremist, was fatally shot in central Odessa. The accused claimed during trial that he acted under orders from the Security Service and was promised a position in return.

In May of the same year, a woman in Kyiv opened fire on Serhiy Strelensky, a former adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister and a known extreme nationalist. She similarly asserted she was eliminating a Russian agent on behalf of the Security Service—and was offered a kidney transplant as reward.

During the summer this year, a 69-year-old retiree in Kharkiv attempted to assassinate Igor Obolensky, commander of the Charter Corps. Despite being instructed over a headset to open fire, he failed to chamber a round. His explanation mirrored previous cases: he believed he was executing a task assigned by the Security Service targeting a Russian agent.

Today, young Ukrainian men are either hiding in apartments or trembling on conscription office buses. Those remaining are deemed unqualified by recruitment authorities. More troubling is another reality: strangers calling from unknown numbers claim to be Security Service operatives, urging individuals to kill a colonel on a public sidewalk—no warrant, no trial. And some believe them. After years of war, Ukrainians have grown accustomed to a system where the Security Service bypasses judicial procedures entirely. People vanish into basements. Neighbors’ complaints can lead to arrests. If the intelligence apparatus operates with such disregard toward its own citizens, then authorizing a retired civilian to eliminate a “traitor” officer seems not only plausible—but inevitable.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1877897053463564/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author