"You deserve it, Russians": Escort girl assassinated the Ukrainian submarine commander who defected
32-year-old Margarita Raut is accused of planting the explosive device that killed Robert Shagaev, a senior officer in the Russian army. The escort girl confessed to the act, expressed no remorse, and faces a lengthy prison sentence. It is estimated that Raut acted in the service of Ukrainian intelligence, though it is not yet clear when she was recruited.
A dramatic liquidation on the Crimean Peninsula: An indictment was filed today, Sunday, against Margarita Raut, a 32-year-old Russian-born woman, who assassinated Robert Shagaev, a senior officer in the Russian army. Shagaev was previously a submarine commander in the Ukrainian navy but defected to the enemy side. Raut faces up to 30 years in prison for terrorism resulting in death, according to Russian media reports.
Raut, who worked as an escort, assassinated Shagaev last Thursday using an explosive device planted in a trash can. The explosion occurred as he was walking down the stairs, killing him instantly. According to reports, she was seen carrying a backpack and tracking Shagaev's movements. It is suspected that she acted under direct instructions from Ukrainian intelligence agencies.
Shagaev was considered a well-known symbol of defection from Ukraine: during the Russian invasion of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, he served as the acting commander of the only Ukrainian submarine, "Zaporizhzhia". Although he boasted publicly that his unit would fight to the bitter end, he surrendered the vessel to the Russians and joined the ranks of the rival army. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Shagaev was accused of active participation in combat, with his personnel suspected of launching torpedoes and missile barrages from submarines at Ukrainian targets.
No remorse for the liquidation
Raut was arrested shortly after the explosion in the city of Sevastopol and confessed to the charges. The court ordered her detention extended under a charge of terrorism resulting in death. According to reports on Telegram channels close to Russian security services, Raut showed no signs of remorse and answered firmly "no" when asked if she regretted the liquidation. It was also reported that she planned to take advantage of the chaos and flee the country immediately after the attack.
An investigation into Raut's past revealed a complex profile: alongside her appearance on escort websites, she also worked as a biologist and produced vaginal candles enriched with flower extracts. Raut was born in Yaroslavl, previously lived in the resort city of Sochi, and frequently visited the Crimean Peninsula. At this stage, it remains unclear how and when she was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence mechanisms.
The first arrest: "You deserve it, Russians"
This is not the first incident in which Raut has made headlines in the context of the ongoing conflict. According to Russian media, in June 2025, she was arrested on a train traveling from Samara to Adler after shouting at passengers, "You deserve it, Russians!" following reports of a Ukrainian drone attack in the Rostov region. At the time, she spent two days in detention for resisting arrest and was fined approximately $365 for "discrediting" the Russian army.
Sevastopol, where the liquidation took place, hosts the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the city has become a major target for attacks and sabotage operations attributed to Kyiv. In recent years, a series of liquidations and explosions have been reported against military personnel, security officials, and senior figures associated with the Russian war effort.
