Russia said Ukraine has launched 10 missiles and three naval drones in what they called a new attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the major Crimean port of Sevastopol Wednesday (September 13).
Russian authorities said the attack left at least 24 people injured after a large fire erupted at a shipyard in the port city.
Ukraine has strongly implied that it used Western-supplied cruise missiles.
Two Russian Ships Struck in Attack
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian governor of Crimea also claimed that most of the weapons were intercepted but two ships have been damaged. A photo he shared on Telegram, showed flames engulfing what appeared to be a ship docked at port while speaking into his phone.
The two ships damaged in the attack were identified as the landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don, which were both thought to be in dry dock, the BBC reported.
While the Russian state-run media outlet Ria Novosti reported the Russian Defense Ministry said both vessels would be fully repaired and eventually be put to sea, the hit on both ships made the attack one of Ukraine's most significant attacks so far on the Black Sea fleet.
Read Also : Azerbaijan Allows Supplies, Aid Into Armenia's Nagorno-Karabakh Region After 9-Month Blockade
⚡️Explosions reported near occupied Sevastopol.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) September 13, 2023
Photos and videos posted to Telegram on Sept. 13 appeared to show an explosion around Sevastopol, a major naval city in Russian-occupied Crimea. The blasts were reported around 3 a.m. local time.
Photo: Crimeanwind/Telegram pic.twitter.com/dwIZBXFlcg
Ukrainian Pilots Allegedly Involved in Mission
In a Telegram message, Ukrainian Air Force commander Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk commended the pilots who were speculated to have delivered the missiles from their aircraft for their "excellent combat work". He added the attack was the first of many more to come.
"While the occupiers are still recovering from the night-time bombardment in Sevastopol, I would like to thank the pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force for their excellent combat work," the general was quoted as per CNN.
Based on his message, posted in Ukrainian, Oleshchuk used language that strongly implied the use of UK- or French-supplied Storm Shadow or SCALP cruise missiles, which could hit targets at a 240 km radius, triple the range of missiles Ukraine previously used.
Other Reported Attacks and Actions
In retaliation, Russian drones reportedly damaged the Ukrainian grain port of Izmail, on the Danube River, with the Odessa regional governor Oleh Kiper saying six people have been injured in the attack, which caused a fire and damaged infrastructure.
"Several groups of drones were launched at the Izmail district," Kiper said on Telegram. "Unfortunately, there were hits: damage to the port and other civil infrastructure was recorded."
Meanwhile, Newsweek reported that Russian authorities have closed the Kerch Strait Bridge, which linked Crimea to the Russian mainland, as a result of the attack on Sevastopol.
The bridge is a key supply route for Russia's forces and is its sole land link with Crimea. It consists of two main parts, a four-lane roadway for vehicles and a railway bridge with two tracks, and is crucial to sustaining Moscow's military offensives in southern Ukraine.
