Russia's Black Sea commander shown working after Ukraine forces claimed they killed him

Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet and one of Russia's most senior navy officers, was shown on Tuesday attending a video conference remotely, a day after Ukrainian special forces said they had killed him.

In video and photographs released by the defenceministry, Sokolov was shown as one of several fleet commanders on video apparently joining an in-person meeting of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other army chiefs, although Sokolov did not speak. It was not clear when the video was filmed.

Ukraine's special forces said on Monday that Sokolov had been killed along with 33 other officers in a missile attack last week on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol in Crimea, which was seized from Ukraine in 2014.

In response to the Russian video, the Ukraine special forces said on Telegram: "Since the Russians were urgently forced to publish a response with Sokolov allegedly alive, our units are clarifying the information."

Earlier on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had declined to comment on the Ukrainian claim, referring reporters to the defence ministry.

In the video released by the ministry, Shoigu said that more than 17,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in September and that more than 2,700 weapons, including seven American Bradley fighting vehicles, had been destroyed.

Reuters could not independently verify battlefield claims.

"The Ukrainian armed forces are suffering serious losses along the entire front line," Shoigu said, adding that the Ukrainian counter-offensive had so far produced no results.

"The United States and its allies continue to arm the armed forces of Ukraine, and the Kyiv regime throws untrained soldiers to their slaughter in senseless assaults," Shoigu said.

Drone attacks

In others developments, Russian drones hit Odesa for a second night. In the latest attack, drones damaged a warehouse, burned trucks and left two drivers injured.

Ferry service between Romania and Ukraine was suspended.Romanian Border Police said ferries were anchored on the Romanian side of the Danube River in Isaccea due to the attacks on Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine's air force claimed that it downed 26 of 38 drones launched byRussia overnight.

On Monday, Russian airstrikes left four people dead, and damaged port infrastructure in Odesa and grain facilities.