Ukraine said it hit two Russian naval vessels along with a communications centre and several other facilities belonging to the Black Sea Fleet on the Crimean port of Sevastopol in an overnight attack, CNN reported (Pics/AFP)
Updated On: 2024-03-25 01:46 PM IST
Compiled by : ronak mastakar
A video shared on a local Telegram channel showed large explosions in Sevastopol, sending thick black smoke and fireballs into the air. A fireball was visible at a distance
Ukraine said the vessels that were targeted were two amphibious landing ships - the Yamal and the Azov, according to the CNN report. The extent of the damage suffered by the Russian vessels is not clear yet
Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk thanked the pilots and navy for their successful combat work
In a post on social media platform X, Mykola Oleshchuk stated, "The sky and the sea are of the same colour! I thank the pilots and navy for their successful combat work! Crimea is ours! To the victory together!"
Russian defence officials have not issued any statements on the attack. However, Russian politician and Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev on his Telegram channel described it as the "most massive attack in recent times"
Without mentioning details regarding the military sites that were hit, Razvozhayev said one person had been killed in the attack. He said maritime and ground transportation in the city had been "partially damaged," according to CNN report
Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers in Crimea have claimed that Ukrainian forces targeted military sites in the west and the centre of the Russian-annexed peninsular, including at Hvardiiske, which is located just north of Crimea's administrative centre, Simferopol. Social media users shared a video on Telegram that suggested that an oil depot was targeted
The claims of both sides cannot be verified. In the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow clearly seems to have an upper hand in its ground campaign. Ukrainian forces have succeeded in targeting Russia's Black Sea Fleet, in missile strikes or sea drone attacks
More than 20 Russian naval vessels have now been disabled or destroyed. In October last year, satellite imagery hinted that Russia relocated some of its naval ships away from Sevastopol after a series of Ukrainian attacks, according to CNN report
