Russia was forced to carry out a major sea rescue operation after another of Vladimir Putin’s warships sank off the southern coast of annexed Crimea.
Footage showed the ship on fire as rescue ships – including a submarine – descended on the scene just off the coast of the resort town of Alupka.
Moments later the warship suffered a huge explosion, probably the detonation of the ammunition of the stricken warship.
Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence service said it secured the ship with several marine drones, successfully sinking it.
‘On February 14, 2024, the Main Directorate of Intelligence, in cooperation with the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine, destroyed the large (Russian) landing ship Caesar Kunikov.
“The successful mission was carried out by the special forces of Group 13 of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. TCaesar Kunikov received critical breaches on the left and began to sink.’
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not provide any confirmation, but respected Russian milblogging broadcaster Rybar later confirmed the Ukrainian claims.
Rybar then issued scathing criticism of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet after the successful attack.
“Two years have passed since the start of the military operation. There are not the best reviews about the command of the Black Sea Fleet among junior military personnel.
“This could still be attributed to simple grumbling, were it not for the systematic destruction of the Black Sea Fleet facilities by fire by the Ukrainian armed forces and the collective West.
‘At this point I just want to say: ”It’s time to change the approach”. Otherwise what’s the point?’
Kiev’s intelligence service released drone footage of the attack
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not provide any confirmation, but respected Russian milblogging broadcaster Rybar later confirmed the Ukrainian claims
Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence service said it secured the ship with several marine drones, successfully sinking the ship
You can see the ship rolling in the sea, with fire coming from a hole in the hull
The warship suffered a massive explosion, believed to be the detonation of the stricken warship’s ammunition
Caesar Kunikov large landing ship, part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet
“The Main Intelligence Directorate decided to congratulate the occupiers in their own way on Valentine’s Day,” the Crimean Wind channel reported.
Another Ukrainian broadcaster Pravda Gerashchenko said: “A Russian warship was attacked and sank shortly after the explosions.”
Pro-Kremlin commentator Sergei Markov said the latest attack shows that Putin’s hopes of capturing the port city of Odesa – his big prize in the Black Sea – have now been dashed.
“Western experts and Zelensky even claim that the Ukrainian armed forces will have won the great battle for the Black Sea in 2023.
“Well, that’s not true, because the Ukrainian armed forces don’t have their own ships in the Black Sea.
“But the naval drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are really causing major problems for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and the likelihood of a major landing operation of the Russian army in Odessa and Mykolaiv is now only theoretical,” he concluded.
The Caesar Kunikov is a type of ship used by Putin’s forces to transport missiles and drones for attacks on Ukraine.
It is designed to support amphibious operations, transporting heavy armor, vehicles and other cargo before deploying directly to the coastline.
The ship suffered damage earlier in the war and then-captain Alexander Chirva died of his injuries in 2022.
According to flight tracking portal Flightradar, a US Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk reconnaissance drone also flew south of the incident and made repeated loops over the Black Sea, possibly providing information for Ukrainian forces.
It was located between 100 and 120 kilometers south of the incident, before apparently returning to its base in Malta.
Two Russian Mi-8 helicopters were seen today flying to and from the scene of the landing ship attack in an apparently desperate rescue operation on calm seas.
Videos today showed a suspected Ukrainian attack on a Russian warship off the southern coast of annexed Crimea
The ship was seen on fire when rescue ships – including a submarine – arrived on the scene just off the coast of the resort town of Alupka.
Captain Alexander Chirva of the Russian landing ship Caesar Kunikov, killed in the war in Ukraine
Blurry videos showed an explosion on the ship
Caesar Kunikov large landing ship, part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet
An armored vehicle disembarks from the Caesar Kunikov landing ship
Two Russian Mi-8 helicopters were seen today flying to and from the scene of the landing ship attack in an apparently desperate rescue operation in calm seas.
The attack on the Caesar Kunikov comes just two weeks after Ukraine destroyed the £55 million Black Sea missile ship Ivanovets.
The 184-foot warship was hit by multiple drones off annexed Crimea.
The operation was led by special units of Group 13 of the Ukrainian military intelligence service GUR.
The list of sunken ships includes the Moskva cruiser, the flagship of Putin’s Black Sea Fleet, which was hit by Neptune missiles in April 2022.
Putin has still not given an accurate toll for the losses in the submerged Moskva.
Several large landing ships have been sunk, including most recently the Novocherkassk, which was hit on December 26, 2023.
At least 33 sailors are feared dead.