Ukraine Sinks Third Russian Warship in Black Sea
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Kyiv, Ukraine, February 15: Ukraine reported sinking another Russian warship in a sea drone attack off the coast of Crimea on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the Russian Black Sea naval fleet, as per CNN.
The targeted ship, Russia's landing ship Caesar Kunikov, was attacked by 'MAGURA' V5 drones, causing critical damage to its left side before it sank, revealed the Ukrainian military intelligence agency.
"After Wednesday's attack, Ukraine claims to have disabled a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet," stated Ukraine's armed forces to CNN.
This aligns with previous Ukrainian assertions that they had incapacitated approximately 33% of Russia's warships, totaling 24 disabled ships and one submarine. The sinking of the landing ship Caesar Kunikov marks the 25th disabled vessel, according to Ukraine's calculations.
The attack was carried out by the agency's "Group 13" special forces unit in collaboration with Ukraine's security and defense forces, stated the report.
Footage provided by Ukraine showed a sea drone approaching the Caesar Kunikov before a large plume of smoke emerged from the vessel.
According to Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, the ship had been docked for 10 days at a specialized berthing location where Russia was likely loading it with weapons and military equipment. The ship appeared to be loaded at the time of the attack, as per CNN.
CNN was unable to independently verify Ukraine's claims, and the Kremlin declined to comment on the reported attack.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated in a news briefing, "This has to do with the course of the special military operation, so it is the prerogative of the Ministry of Defense. I suggest you refer to the statements of our military colleagues. I can't say anything about this."
According to CNN, the reported attack is the latest in a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russia's navy, aiming to land strategic and symbolic blows against Russian forces that annexed Crimea in 2014.
As the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, the frontlines have remained mostly static for months. However, since last year, Ukraine has shifted its focus to the Black Sea, stating that its strikes on Crimea and Russian ships aim to isolate the peninsula and hinder Russia's military operations on the Ukrainian mainland.
During a Brussels press conference on Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg commented broadly, stating that "the Ukrainians have been able to inflict heavy losses on the Russian Black Sea Fleet," calling it a "great achievement, a great victory for Ukrainians."
Stoltenberg also highlighted that Ukraine's armed forces pushing away the Russian Black Sea fleet and opening a corridor has enabled them to export grain and other commodities to the world market, as reported by CNN.
"Few believed this was possible just a few months ago. But now actually, the export of grain from Ukraine takes place even without an agreement with Russia. So this shows the skills and the competence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Stoltenberg added, emphasizing the importance of NATO's support.
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