12/26/2023 11:16
Russia admitted this Tuesday (26) that one of its ships was damaged in a Ukrainian attack in Feodosia, on the annexed Crimean peninsula, a new defeat for Moscow in the Black Sea at a time when it is demanding progress in the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed by his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu about the “damage” to the Novocherkassk landing ship, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the press, without giving further details.
The Defense Ministry, citing the RIA Novosti agency, reported that the ship “was damaged during the night in an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces using cruise missiles.”
A few hours earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that it had “destroyed” this ship, which was suspected of carrying Iranianmade Shahed drones that Moscow had used in the conflict against Kiev.
On Telegram, Ukrainian forces reported that they used “tactical aviation” cruise missiles in the attack, which took place at around 2:30 a.m. (9:30 p.m. in Brasília).
Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk released a video showing an explosion and flames.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in turn, declared that the ship had sunk and ironically commented on the good work of his army in adding “a new ship to the Russian submarine fleet in the Black Sea.”
According to Crimean Governor Sergei Aksionov, one person died and two were injured in the Ukrainian attack on Feodosia, on this peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Six buildings were damaged and residents were forced to evacuate their homes in this city, which has a major trading port on the shores of the Black Sea.
“Great Victory”
The attack is a victory for Kiev, which is trying to show that it can keep the Russian fleet away from the Ukrainian coast even if it cannot prevent the advance of the Russian military on the “front line.”
The Ukrainian army managed to drive Moscow's ships away from the southwestern Black Sea and reopen a maritime corridor for the export of Ukrainian grain.
Zelensky congratulated the results of this strategy, which is seen as “a great victory for Ukraine in the Black Sea.”
Although the port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is located in Sevastopol, about 190 km from Feodosia, according to local press, several Russian ships are currently stationed in the port of this city.
The Black Sea is an important route for grain exports from Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain producers.
It is also strategically important for Russia, as Crimea's northern location is crucial for supplying its troops in southern Ukraine and for attacks within the former Soviet republic.
Kiev's operations in the Black Sea are among Kiev's few military successes this year, as the front line remains almost unchanged after several Russian withdrawals in 2022 and Moscow's troops have increased their pressure in the eastern and southern regions in recent weeks.
On Monday (25), the Russian military announced that it had taken control of the town of Marinka, near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, which was denied by Kiev.
Today, the Ukrainian military said the country was the target of a new drone offensive by the Shahed, mainly in the Kherson and Odessa regions. Thirteen of the 19 Russian drones were intercepted, said the same source, which reported no casualties or damage.
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