Sevastopol: Ukraine says it struck two Russian navy ships in major attack on Crimea

CNN
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Ukraine said it struck two Russian navy ships, along with a communications center and several other Black Sea Fleet facilities, in a massive overnight attack on the port of Sevastopol in Crimea.

There was no comment from Russian defense officials, although Russian politician and Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozaev acknowledged on his Telegram channel that this was “the most massive attack in recent times.”

A video clip posted on a local channel on the Telegram application shows a series of large explosions in the city, resulting in fireballs and thick black smoke rising into the air. Another fireball could be seen in the distance.

Ukraine said the damaged ships were two amphibious landing ships, Yamal and Azov. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

Praising the attacks, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on social media: “The sky and the sea are of the same color!” I thank the pilots and the Navy for their successful combat work! Crimea is ours! To victory together!

Razvozaev did not indicate which military sites were bombed, and said that one person was killed in the attack. He added that sea and land transportation in the city was “partially damaged.”

Elsewhere in Crimea, Russian military bloggers say Ukrainian forces have also targeted sites in the west and center of the peninsula that were illegally annexed, including Hvardeisky, which lies north of Crimea's administrative center, Simferopol. Users, who posted a video on a local Telegram channel, indicated that an oil depot there had been attacked.

CNN is unable to immediately verify the latest allegations by either side.

While Moscow clearly has the upper hand in its ground campaign, Ukrainian forces have enjoyed continued successes targeting the Russian Black Sea fleet, either through missile strikes or naval drone attacks.

More than 20 Russian naval vessels, a third of the entire fleet, have now been disabled or destroyed. Although Ukraine does not have a navy of its own, Russian technological innovation, boldness, and incompetence have given it the upper hand in much of the Black Sea. In October last year, satellite images indicated that Russia had moved some of its naval ships away from Sevastopol after a series of Ukrainian attacks.

If Sunday's strikes on Yamal and Azov are confirmed, it would likely mean Russia has only three operational landing craft left in the Black Sea. Ukraine says Moscow began its large-scale invasion with 13 ships of this type.

In September, a Ukrainian missile attack also destroyed the fleet headquarters in Sevastopol.

For Ukraine, the impact is not only military but also economic, as it helps secure a shipping corridor from Odessa and other ports towards the Bosphorus, allowing Ukraine to sell grains and other products on global markets.