A military boat in Yuzhnaya Bay, Sevastopol, Crimea, October 27, 2022. ALYONA MALKOWSKAYA FOR THE WORLD
The meager Ukrainian naval forces caused a sensation on Saturday, October 29, when they attacked their Russian adversary in the port of Sevastopol in an unprecedented operation whose contours are still poorly understood.
Before sunrise, around 4:20 a.m., between six and eight suicidal surface drones attacked Black Sea Fleet ships stationed in Sevastopol, Crimea. This attack to saturate Russian defenses was coordinated with a handful of flying drones. Several videos filmed by the drones and released by the Ukrainian side, as well as videos of explosions captured by Russian surveillance cameras, give an overview of what happened. The attack, which took place 300 km from the coast under Ukrainian control, took place simultaneously inside and outside the port of Sevastopol, where Russian ships were patrolling.
The penetration of at least one or two surface drones into the harbour, a 7 km long natural bay divided into sub-bays, is a feat in itself. The harbor entrance, closed off by two dikes, is very closely and carefully guarded, particularly by tame dolphins – a specialty of the Russian Navy – whose job it is to spot and neutralize enemy combat swimmers. The videos released show that the Russian defenses went into action off the coast and destroyed at least one drone with heavy machine guns, either from a combat ship or from a Mi-17 helicopter we see circling in the sky.
According to Kyiv, two Russian military ships were damaged
It is still difficult to accurately estimate the extent of the damage inflicted on the Russian fleet. According to Ukrainian sources, two military ships were badly damaged: the frigate Admiral-Makarov, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, and the minesweeper Ivan-Goloubets. Footage of the frigate taken after the attack shows it being towed into a bay used for repairs, suggesting extensive damage.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, which tends to hide its losses, said Sunday it had destroyed nine aerial drones and seven Ukrainian sea drones and acknowledged “minor damage” to the minesweeper, without referring to the frigate.
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Allies of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have suggested that Ukraine organized the attack, but without clearly acknowledging responsibility. This is the second time Kyiv has dealt a serious blow to the reputation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet after the destruction of the battleship Moskva in April.
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