TASS news agency and Reuters news agency said Mr. Rzhitsky, 42, was shot dead while jogging near a local sports center in the morning.
An unidentified gunman fired four shots into Mr. Rzhitsky’s back and chest and fled the scene. The victim died at the scene. Russian authorities have opened an investigation into the murder and are searching for suspects.
The Baza Telegram account cited a preliminary report saying that the gunman had been following Mr. Rzhitsky for a long time and knew his daily routine. The suspect is believed to have deliberately chosen a location without surveillance cameras to carry out the attack.
Mr. Rzhitsky. Photo: The Insider
Mr. Rzhitsky is the commander of the Krasnodar submarine equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles. Ukrainian media accused Mr. Rzhitsky of ordering the firing of Kalibr missiles from the submarine at the city of Vinnytsia in central-western Ukraine on July 14, 2022.
Additionally, the Myrotvorets database lists Mr. Rzhitsky as the commander of the Alrosa submarine, a member of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Myrotvorets is a website that includes Russians considered enemies of Ukraine.
According to Reuters, on July 11, the phrase "Removed" in red was written over Mr. Rzhitsky's photo on the Myrotvorets website.
Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko wrote on Twitter that Russian media suspected Kiev was behind the murder but did not comment further.
"So far, the Russian police have not found any relevant surveillance camera footage. The search is still ongoing," said adviser Gerashchenko.
Reuters reported that at least two Russians listed in the Myrotvorets database have been assassinated inside Russia since Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine in February last year.
The bombings killed journalist Darya Dugina last August and war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in April this year.
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