After the sinking of the cruiser Moskva in the war with Ukraine, the Russian Black Sea fleet also loses one of the most senior officers. In fact, the commander of the Russian landing ship ‘Caesar Kunikov’, Alexander Chirva, died today. This was announced on Telegram by the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev. The captain of the ship, which is part of the 197th landing brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, died of injuries allegedly sustained in the attack by the Ukrainians last March 24, in which another ship was destroyed by landing, the Saratov. On that occasion, Caesar Kunikov and her ‘twin’ Novocherkassk were seen leaving the port of Berdiansk. In one photo, Kunikov, capable of carrying tanks and infantry units, was caught in the flames. “Her courage, professionalism and experience saved the lives of the crew members. We will always remember our hero,” promises Razvozhayev. Chirva, a third-degree captain, was born in Sevastopol, Crimea, and had fought in 2015 and 2016 in Syria.