A senior Russian naval officer was killed in a blast in Sevastopol on August 13, which Moscow has blamed on Ukrainian intelligence.
The bomb, hidden inside a garbage bin, contained explosives equal to round 500g of TNT. The blast killed Robert Shageev, deputy commander of a Russian Black Sea Fleet submarine brigade, on the spot.
Margarita Reutt, a 32-year-old girl from Sochi, a resort metropolis on the alternative aspect of the Black Sea, was detained inside hours by Russian investigators.
In response to investigators, a search of Reutt’s belongings uncovered a distant management that they consider was used to set off the bomb.
Who Is Margarita Reutt?
Reutt was born Margarita Yakovleva and grew up in Yaroslavl, north-east of Moscow. Her mother and father divorced when she was younger, and she or he was largely raised by her grandmother.
Buddies who knew her as a toddler described her as sociable and heat, however unusually fearless, in keeping with a report by the Guardian.
“Margarita was fearless. She would climb timber, bounce off automobiles, do issues most boys had been terrified of,” recalled one childhood pal.
After shifting to Novosibirsk to review administration, Reutt joined a parachuting membership and often jumped from Soviet-era plane. Pictures from that interval present her typically surrounded by males in camouflage, and she or he was often the one girl within the group.
She additionally competed in beginner go-karting and took up water polo, finally changing into goalkeeper for her college workforce.
“Margarita was so proficient and by no means afraid of the ball,” her former coach informed the Guardian.
Away from sport, she volunteered with a patriotic organisation looking for the stays of Soviet troopers killed throughout the Second World Conflict.
A New Life In Sochi
After college, Reutt moved to Sochi, the place she tried operating a journey company earlier than becoming a member of Vitauct, another medication firm centered on longevity.
Nonetheless, over time, buddies observed that she was changing into more and more involved about environmental points in Sochi.
Her activism grew to become notably seen after two Russian tankers had been wrecked throughout a storm within the Black Sea in December 2024, inflicting a significant oil spill.
Reutt travelled to Anapa and joined volunteers cleansing mazut, a heavy gas oil, from seashores contaminated by the spill.
Conflict Modified Her Outlook
Individuals near Reutt stated Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked a turning level.
“The struggle got here as a shock,” one pal stated, recalling how Reutt grew to become vocal concerning the battle.
“I informed her as soon as to maintain quiet, in any other case she would get us each into bother,” the pal informed the publication.
In July 2025, Reutt was fined below Russia’s legislation towards “discrediting” the armed forces after reportedly shouting “Serves you proper, Russians!” when she heard a couple of Ukrainian drone strike on a railway station within the Rostov area whereas travelling on a Samara-Adler prepare.
In February, she posted the outcomes of a genetic check exhibiting that she was 98% Russian. Alongside it, she used a hashtag saying she was “ashamed to be Russian”.
Buddies Seen A Change
Her buddies stated that months earlier than the Sevastopol bombing, she had change into extra withdrawn. One pal recalled that Reutt had all of a sudden purchased a second cellphone.
“She purchased this second cellphone within the spring. She defined that she wanted it for work, however it did not actually make sense to me on the time.”
“Margarita was hiding one thing,” the pal added. “I believed perhaps she had a brand new boyfriend.”
Round that point, Reutt started travelling extra often to Crimea.
She informed one acquaintance that she was scouting places for video shoots, having not too long ago begun showing extra typically in music clips.
Russia Alleges Ukrainian Intelligence Hyperlink
In response to Russian safety officers, Reutt confessed to the assault and stated a handler related to Ukrainian intelligence had recruited her.
Investigators declare she was promised a big cryptocurrency cost, together with paperwork that might assist her go away Russia after the operation.
Russia has accused Ukraine of directing the assassination.
Kyiv has not commented on the bombing or on Reutt’s alleged involvement.
“Rita believed that the nation was going within the incorrect route,” a long-time pal stated, utilizing the diminutive type of her title. “However I’m nonetheless shocked she went thus far,” the pal added.
A Rising Sample Of Assaults Inside Russia
The alleged Sevastopol operation matches right into a broader sample of assaults on senior Russian navy figures since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian intelligence businesses have been linked to a collection of assassinations and tried killings concentrating on Russian navy officers whom Kyiv accuses of involvement within the struggle.
