In a significant development in the ongoing conflict, the Kremlin confirmed that a Ukrainian attack damaged a Russian warship in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosia.
The incident, which Ukraine and its Western allies have labeled a major setback for the Russian Navy, targeted the Novocherkassk, a large landing ship based in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet naval base on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported the damage to President Vladimir Putin, as confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The Ukrainian air force claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it struck the Novocherkassk with cruise missiles around 2:30 a.m. local time.
Initially, the Ukrainian air force indicated that the ship had been "destroyed," and suggested it had been used to transport Shaheds, Iranian explosive drones frequently employed by Russia against Ukraine.
While the Russian Defense Ministry did not detail the extent of the damage, it asserted that two Ukrainian Su-24 bombers were destroyed during the incident, a claim denied by Ukrainian air force spokesman Yury Ihnat.
The attack in Feodosia, which resulted in a fiery explosion at the Russian naval base, caused casualties and prompted evacuations of nearby residents. Sergei Aksyonov, the Kremlin-backed head of Crimea, reported one fatality and two injuries, adding that the port area had been cordoned off.
In the aftermath, his aide Oleg Kryuchkov warned of criminal prosecution against individuals circulating footage of the attack.
Ukraine has been increasingly targeting Russian military sites in Crimea, notably sinking the cruiser Moskva, the Black Sea fleet's flagship, in April 2022.
The Novocherkassk, involved in Russia's military intervention in Syria, is one of several Russian warships reportedly attacked by Ukraine since the invasion began. According to the open-source intelligence project Oryx, Ukraine may have destroyed 11 out of 16 Russian warships targeted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a social media post, emphasized, "The occupiers will not have a single peaceful place in Ukraine."
This strike follows a previous attack on the Black Sea fleet's headquarters in Sevastopol last September, prompting Russia to relocate warships to more easterly ports. The ongoing maritime conflicts highlight the escalating tensions and strategic shifts in the Black Sea region.
