Ukraine launches its largest attack yet on occupied Crimean port with cruise missile blitz just ahead of Putin’s meeting with Kim Jong Un
Ukraine launched its biggest attack yet on Russian-occupied Crimea last night, with cruise missiles targeting a port ahead of Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Kim Jong Un.
The port of Sevastopol was hit by as many as seven explosions, setting a shipyard on fire and injuring at least 24 people, Russian officials said.
Images showed the scale of the attack – the largest of the war so far on the city that is the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet – while photos appeared to show the large Russian landing ship Minsk damaged in the attack.
The 110-meter-long ship is likely to be hit by a Storm Shadow missile of the type supplied to Kiev by Britain and France.
At the time it was being repaired at a shipyard in Sevastopol.
A Kilo-class diesel-electric attack submarine, the Rostov-on-Don, was also hit β in what would be a huge blow to Putin’s navy.
Ukraine launched its biggest attack yet on Russian-occupied Crimea last night, with cruise missiles targeting a port ahead of Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Kim Jong Un. In the photo: A large mushroom cloud can be seen rising over the Black Sea harbor at night
Two new photos reportedly show how the smoldering large Russian landing ship Minsk was damaged by a Ukrainian cruise missile attack earlier today
The 110-meter-long ship is likely to be hit by a Storm Shadow missile of the type supplied to Kiev by Britain and France.
A strategically important shipbuilding and repair yard went up in flames and a power station and other naval facilities in the Black Sea were also hit, it appeared.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine launched 10 cruise missiles at the shipyard and three naval drones at Russian ships in the Black Sea.
Seven missiles were shot down and all naval drones were destroyed, the military said, but some missiles damaged two ships being repaired at the shipyard, in addition to some buildings.
Ukrainian news channel RBC-Ukraine, citing unnamed sources in Ukrainian military intelligence, reported that an amphibious landing ship and a submarine were damaged in the attack.
Some Russian messaging app channels made the same claim. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials.
Kiev almost never acknowledges responsibility for attacks on Crimea or Russian regions that have occurred regularly in recent months.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-appointed governor of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula, said on Telegram that 24 people were injured in the fire. He posted a photo of the fire.
βThe Ukrainian army launched an attack with ten cruise missiles on the S. Ordzhonikidze ship repair plant,β the Russian Defense Ministry said in Telegram.
Ukraine also “tried to carry out an attack with three unmanned boats on a detachment of Black Sea Fleet ships” during a sea crossing, it added.
In blistering attacks, seven massive explosions hit a naval port in Sevastopol, setting the shipyard on fire and wounding at least 24 people, Russian officials said.
Images showed the scale of the attack, the largest of the war so far on the city that is the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
βAir defense systems shot down seven cruise missiles, and the patrol ship Vasily Bykov destroyed all unmanned boats. As a result of the attack by enemy cruise missiles, two ships undergoing repairs were damaged.β
The Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a frequent target in the 18-month war.
The Sevastopol Shipyard is of strategic importance for Russia because ships from the Black Sea Fleet β some of which have already been damaged by attacks β are repaired there.
Russia’s vulnerability in the Black Sea was demonstrated early in the war when Ukraine bombed the fleet’s flagship Moskva with two missiles, eventually causing it to sink. The true loss of life was never revealed by Russia.
Kiev has repeatedly said it plans to take back Crimea.
The attack is the latest military embarrassment for the Russian president, who is meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in the Far East today.
The long-awaited meeting could see the two allies agree on a sanctions-busting arms deal to support Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Ammunition supplies are dwindling as the country fights to fend off Kiev’s counter-offensive.
Earlier today, Russia’s warmonger enthusiastically shook hands with Kim as soon as he stepped out of his black limousine, saying he was “very happy to see him.”
Kim, one of the few leaders to have supported the despot since his massive invasion of Ukraine began 19 months ago, told the Russian despot that he was waging a “holy war” with the West and that their two countries would fight together against “imperialism” .
The attack is the latest military embarrassment for Russian President Vladimir Putin (right), who is meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (left) today in Russia’s far east.
The attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet came as Moscow launched drones against Ukraine’s Odesa region in the early morning hours.
Like Sevastopol, Odesa is also located on the Black Sea.
The attacks damaged port and civilian infrastructure in Odesa’s Izmail district and injured six people, three seriously, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it intercepted 32 of 44 Shahed-type drones overnight, most of which were launched towards the southern parts of the Odesa district.