Robert Shageyev
?–2026Ukrainian submarine commander who defected to Russia during the 2014 annexation of Crimea and was killed in a bomb attack in Sevastopol.
Particulars
Robert Shageyev was a Ukrainian naval officer who commanded the Zaporizhzhia, the only submarine in the Ukrainian Navy. During Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, he defected to the Russian side and handed the vessel over to Moscow, an act for which he was later wanted for high treason by Ukraine's security service.
After joining the Russian Armed Forces, Shageyev rose to become a first captain in the Black Sea Fleet and served as deputy commander of the submarine brigade based in Sevastopol. His defection made him a notable figure in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
In August 2026, Shageyev was killed when a bomb exploded in a trash can as he walked by in Sevastopol. Russian authorities accused Ukrainian intelligence of orchestrating the assassination, while Kyiv did not immediately comment on the allegations.
Compiled from source reports. Automated record.