Ukraine declared that it destroyed a Russian military vessel near Crimea, providing a much-needed success amid ongoing losses on the front line.
The military intelligence of Ukraine announced on Tuesday that a special forces team from the conflict-ridden country successfully sank a Russian warship. According to the intelligence agency’s statement released early Tuesday morning, the Russian patrol ship Sergey Kotov was destroyed near the Kerch Strait, close to the coast of Crimea which is currently under Russian occupation.
The “Group 13” special forces unit used Ukrainian-made Magura V5 maritime drones to carry out an overnight operation, resulting in the sinking of the ship. The estimated value of Russia’s navy loss in this region is approximately $65 million.
According to a video shared on social media, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency captured footage of a drone’s attack on a Russian vessel.
Andriy Yusov, from the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, stated that the number of crew members and their status on the patrol ship is still being investigated. Yusov mentioned that some Russian sailors are believed to have been killed or injured during the attack.
It has been reported that the Crimean Bridge, a strategic structure linking the peninsula of Crimea to the rest of Russia, has been completed.
In 2014, Ukraine lost possession of territory to Russia.
The connection between the Russian mainland and the destination was shut down for over eight hours.
The ship from Russia was previously damaged and received repairs as a result of a maritime drone attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in September 2023.
Daniyar Sarsenov/Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine/AP
On Tuesday, Andriy Yermak, the Chief of Staff for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that the Russian Black Sea Fleet represents an occupation and cannot be present in Ukrainian Crimea.
There has been no immediate response from Russian officials regarding the reported sinking.
In February, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed two additional Russian military ships: the Caesar Kunikov, a landing vessel, and the Ivanovets, a corvette armed with missiles. These ships were both sunk off the coast of Crimea.
According to Ukrainian military, approximately 24 Russian vessels have been destroyed or harmed since the invasion by Russia began on February 24th, 2022.
However, these separate triumphs on the ocean are achieved by Russian soldierscontinue advancing
Advancing along the extensive front line that spans across eastern Ukraine, capturing new territory.
“The Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Turner, warns that if aid is not received by Ukraine immediately, they will suffer significant losses.”
For months, Ukrainian political and military officials have been pleading with their Western allies for additional ammunition, artillery, and other weapons. They have warned that without new provisions, they will not be able to defend against Russia.
The main priority for Kyiv is to have the U.S. Congress approve an extra $60 billion aid package, which has been delayed due to political disagreements since the end of last year.
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Source: cbsnews.com