As Ukrainian troops continue to attack targets further from the front line of the conflict, they said on Tuesday, March 5, that they had destroyed another Russian cruiser in the Black Sea using advanced sea drones. The Kremlin has not yet confirmed the assertion.
Yet Another Crucial Attack
In a report by The Associated Press, the huge patrol ship Sergey Kotov was destroyed overnight by a special operations team using explosive-laden Magura V5 unmanned vessels that are developed and constructed in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military intelligence service.
The Ukrainian navy claimed to have hit a patrol ship in the Kerch Strait; the vessel allegedly had 60 crew members and the capability to deploy cruise missiles.
The incident happened near the port of Feodosia in Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014, according to private security company Ambrey. The clip showing Sergey Kotov shooting at the drones was captured by a crew member on a commercial vessel in the harbor, according to Ambrey.
Ambrey said the ship was struck at least twice, with the second impact producing a significant explosion.
Triumphs for Ukraine
Reportedly, the Russian navy has been forced to abandon the Black Sea coast as a result of Ukrainian victories over hostile vessels, enabling Ukraine to establish a grain export channel.
Ukraine said last month that it had used drones to sink two Russian vessels. Reports circulated that it sank the Russian missile-armed corvette Ivanovets on February 1 and the Caesar Kunikov landing ship on February 14.
Russian authorities did not confirm those assertions.
According to Kyiv authorities, almost 20% of Russia's missile assaults on Ukraine originate from the Black Sea, and it would be demeaning for Moscow if Ukrainian ships were to strike Russian ships there.
The guided-missile cruiser Moskva, which served as the pride and joy of Russia's Black Sea navy, went down about a year ago after severe damage sustained in a missile strike.
