- Written by Paul Adams and Megan Fisher
- BBC News in Kiev, Ukraine and London
Image source, Mikhail Razvozaev
A photo shared by the Russian-installed ruler on Telegram showed flames engulfing what appeared to be a ship
Russia says Ukraine launched 10 missiles and three drone boats in an attack on the headquarters of its Black Sea fleet in Crimea.
Russia said the attack caused a major fire at a shipyard in Sevastopol, injuring 24 people.
Moscow Governor Mikhail Razvozaev claimed that most of the weapons had been intercepted.
Russia said that two of its ships were damaged as a result of being hit by cruise missiles.
A photo shared by Mr. Razvozhayev on Telegram shows flames engulfing what appears to be a ship in a port as he spoke on his phone.
It is believed to be located in an area where ships were undergoing repairs. Ukrainian military intelligence sources say a large Russian amphibious landing ship and a submarine – believed to be in dry dock – were damaged. If both are hit it would make this one of the most significant attacks launched by Ukraine to date on the Black Sea Fleet.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk warned there was more to come.
Pictures circulating on social media, which the BBC has not yet been able to verify, show several large explosions in the area.
The fact that some of the missiles penetrated Russian air defenses and appeared to cause significant damage would be a real concern in Moscow.
The country’s Ministry of Defense claimed that seven of the missiles were shot down and all three unmanned boats were destroyed.
Smoke continued to rise into the air the morning after the attack on the Sevastopol shipyard
Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and this attack shows the struggle for control of the waters. Ukraine has consistently maintained its ultimate goal of regaining the peninsula.
Ukraine has targeted Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet before, but questions remain about the weapons used in this attack. Western-supplied long-range missiles have been proposed, but Ukrainian-made Neptune missiles could also have been used.
Meanwhile, Russian drones reportedly destroyed the Ukrainian grain port of Izmail, on the Danube River.
Odessa Region Governor Oleh Kiper said six people were injured in the attack, which caused a fire and damaged infrastructure.
“Several groups of drones were launched in the Ismail area,” Kiper said via the Telegram application.
“Unfortunately, there were casualties: damage to the port and other civilian infrastructure was recorded.”
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