British cruise missiles were used in the devastating bombardment of the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet earlier today in occupied Crimea.
The UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles struck Russia’s attack submarine, the Rostov-on-Don, and amphibious landing ship, the Minsk, in Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea. The loss of the Rostov-on-Don is particularly significant as it has been used to launch Kalibr missiles at Ukrainian cities.
The strike is the first attack on a Russian submarine since the Second World War.
The overnight attack on the Black Sea fleet raises the prospect of Russia being forced to reduce its naval presence on the Crimean peninsula, which would be a huge blow to the Kremlin’s war effort.
The peninsula, seized by Russia in 2014, is becoming increasingly vulnerable as the West provides Ukraine with long-range missiles and its forces push back the Russian frontline.
Ukraine launched its largest attack yet on Russian-occupied Crimea overnight with cruise missiles blitzing a port ahead of Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Kim Jong Un. Pictured: A large mushroom cloud is seen rising over the Black Sea port overnight
Two new pictures reportedly show how the smouldering large Russian landing ship Minsk was damaged by a Ukrainian cruise missile strike earlier today
The 367ft long vessel is believed to have been hit by a Storm Shadow missile of the type supplied to Kyiv by Britain and France
Dramatic pictures showed huge flames rising from the Sevastopol dry dock where, according to the Kremlin, the vessels were being repaired.
The attack followed a raid on Russian radar systems, disabling part of the air defence systems around Sevastopol.
The attack – Ukraine’s biggest on the region since the start of the war – damaged a Russian submarine and a warship in a pre-dawn raid on the Sevastopol shipyard.
As many as ten missiles were fired at the facility, seven of which Russia claimed to have shot down. The strike set the shipyard ablaze and wounded at least 24.
New information from a Ukrainian and a Western source said that British Storm Shadow missiles, delivered to Ukraine this year, were used in the attack.
Footage appeared to show the large Russian landing ship, the Minsk, was damaged in the attack – previously believed to have been hit by a Storm Shadow.
The 367ft-long vessel was undergoing repairs in a shipyard at the time of the attack.
A strategically important shipbuilding and repair yard was engulfed in flames and a power plant and other Black Sea naval facilities were also hit, it appeared.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine launched ten cruise missiles at the shipyard and three sea drones at Russian ships in the Black Sea.
Seven missiles were shot down and all the sea drones have been destroyed, the military said, but some missiles damaged two ships being repaired in the shipyard, in addition to some buildings.
‘It was Storm Shadow,’ a source told Sky News.
Ukraine’s RBC-Ukraine news outlet reported, citing unnamed sources in Ukrainian military intelligence, 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.
Kyiv almost never acknowledges responsibility for attacks on Crimea or Russian regions that have become regular in recent months.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, 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 blaze.
‘The Ukrainian armed forces launched a strike with ten cruise missiles at the S. Ordzhonikidze ship repair plant,’ Russia’s defence ministry said on Telegram.
Ukraine also ‘attempted an attack with three unmanned boats at a detachment of ships of the Black Sea fleet’ during a sea crossing, it added.
Blistering strikes saw up to seven huge explosions hit a naval port in Sevastopol, setting the shipyard ablaze and wounding at least 24 people, Russian officials said
Footage showed the scale of the attack, the largest of the war so far on the city which is the headquarters of Russia ‘s Black Sea Fleet
‘Air defence systems shot down seven cruise missiles, and the patrol ship Vasily Bykov destroyed all unmanned boats. As a result of being hit by enemy cruise missiles, two ships undergoing repairs were damaged.’
The Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014, has been a frequent target in the 18-month-old war.
The Sevastopol shipyard is of strategic importance to Russia as vessels in its Black Sea fleet – some already damaged in strikes – are being repaired there.
Russia’s vulnerability in the Black Sea was demonstrated early on in the war when Ukraine struck the fleet’s flagship vessel – the Moskva – with two missiles, ultimately causing it to sink. The true loss of life has never been revealed by Russia.
Kyiv has repeatedly said it plans to take back the Crimean peninsula.
The attack is the latest military embarrassment for the Russian President who today is meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in the Far East.
The highly-anticipated meeting could see the two allies agree on a sanctions-busting arms deal to support Moscow‘s on-going invasion in Ukraine.
Its supply of munitions dwindling as it fights to fend off Kyiv’s counteroffensive.
Earlier today, the Russian warmonger shook hands enthusiastically with Kim as soon as he stepped out of his black limousine and said he was ‘very glad to see him’.
Kim, one of the few leaders who has stuck by the despot since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine began 19 months ago, told the Russian despot he was fighting a ‘sacred war’ with the West and their two countries would together battle with ‘imperialism’.
The attack is the latest military embarrassment for the Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) who today is meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (left) in Russia’s far-east
The attack against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters came as Moscow launched drones against Ukraine’s Odesa region in the pre-dawn hours.
Like Sevastopol, Odesa also sits on the Black Sea.
The attacks damaged port and civilian infrastructure in Odesa’s Izmail district and wounded six people, three seriously, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said.
Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 32 of 44 Shahed-type drones overnight, with most of them launched toward the southern parts of the Odesa district.
