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A man arrested in connection with the murder of a Russian army recruiter was a prominent figure in Ukrainian martial arts, Russian media have reported.
Authorities in Russia opened a murder inquiry after Stanislav Rzhitsky, 42, was found dead with gunshot wounds in the southern city of Krasnodar on Monday.
Russia's Investigative Committee said Serhiy Denysenko, who was born in 1959 and came from the Ukrainian city of Sumy, had been arrested over the killing. He was picked up in the town of Tuapse, around 120 miles from Krasnodar.
Newsweek has contacted Russia's Investigative Committee—the country's main federal investigating authority—by email for further information.
The Russian language news outlet Politika Strani, which reports on the war in Ukraine, posted video on Telegram it said was of the arrest, although the suspect's face was blurred. Authorities said that a pistol and silencer were found at the property and that a ballistics examination was being conducted.
Some Russian Telegram channels said that Denysenko was a former head of the Ukrainian Shotokan Karate-Do Federation and held a black belt in the martial art. He reportedly raised funds on a regular basis to help Ukraine's armed forces.
Rzhitsky was a former captain of the Krasnodar Black Sea Fleet submarine in the Russian Navy, which was equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles.
Ukrainian media said Rzhitsky was among Russian submarine captains involved in carrying out an attack on Vinnytsia in Ukraine on July 14, 2022, which killed 27 people. Kyiv said the attack came from Kalibr cruise missiles launched from a submarine in the Black Sea.
Baza, a Russian Telegram channel with ties to Russian police, said the killer could have tracked Rzhitsky's runs on the Strava fitness app as he regularly followed the same route while running. He was found shot in the back and the chest four times near the Olimp sports centre, and died at the scene.
Rzhitsky's address and personal details had been uploaded to the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets (Peacemaker), which is an unofficial database of people considered to be enemies of Ukraine, the BBC reported.
It is unclear if Rzhitsky was still in the Russian navy at the time of his death. However, Baza cited Rzhitsky's father as saying that his son left the Russian armed forces in December 2021 before Moscow invaded Ukraine.
He had been serving as deputy head of the local mobilization department in Krasnodar, which is tasked with conscripting Russian men to fight in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Enlistment centers across Russia have faced arson attacks since President Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization for his invasion in September 2022.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more