Ukraine said it sank a $65 million warship that Russia planned to use for an antiaircraft missile system
Ukraine said it sank the Sergei Kotov patrol vessel in another blow to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, despite Ukraine not having a navy of its own.
Ministry of Defence of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS
- Ukraine said it destroyed another Russian ship in the Black Sea using sea drones.
- The Sergei Kotov patrol vessel, part of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, cost $65 million, Ukraine said.
- An intelligence official said Russia was planning to put an antiaircraft missile system on the ship.
Ukrainian military intelligence said a $65 million Russian warship was the latest to be sunk in the Black Sea.
The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said on Tuesday that the vessel, the Sergei Kotov, was destroyed overnight.
The ship was worth about $65 million, it said.
It added that a Ukrainian special unit attacked the Black Sea Fleet vessel in cooperation with Ukraine's navy and the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
An intelligence source told Ukraine's Kyiv Post that Magura V5 drones struck the ship while it was patrolling in the Kerch Strait, and that it sank.
Andrii Yusov, a Ukrainian intelligence official, told Radio Free Europe that Russia was planning to put an antiaircraft missile system on the ship.
Ukraine shared footage of the reported attack.
Ukrainian Defense Intelligence shared a video of the Russian Sergey Kotov patrol ship being destroyed.
Glory to Ukrainian Heroes! https://t.co/3KPMpgxXD8 pic.twitter.com/4LGiEYQaEY— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) March 5, 2024
The hit, if confirmed, would be another victory for Ukraine in the Black Sea, despite it not having any warships of its own.
The Sergei Kotov is a patrol ship operating as part of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine has been targeting Russian ships since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, damaging, destroying, or sinking many of them.
Ukraine has targeted Russian vessels with commando raids, missiles, and sea drones, including ones it has developed itself.
In December, the UK's defense minister said that "over the past 4 months 20% of Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been destroyed."
Russia has moved many of its vessels away from Sevastopol, its major Black Sea port in Crimea, to areas further away from Ukraine.
Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in February 2014. Ukraine has repeatedly vowed to take it back, and has launched long-range attacks on infrastructure there.
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