KYIV: Ukrainian forces have reported the destruction of a Russian Navy’s Tsezar Kunikov large landing ship off Crimea in the Black Sea region. The incident occurred on Wednesday, with footage captured by a Ukrainian news outlet showing a column of smoke rising over the sea near the southern coast of Crimea, accompanied by the sight of helicopters patrolling the area.
According to statements from Kyiv’s military, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in collaboration with the Defence Ministry’s intelligence unit, successfully targeted the Tsezar Kunikov ship while it was within Ukrainian territorial waters near Alupka. The strike was reportedly executed using naval drones, a tactic that Ukraine has employed previously to deter Russian presence in the region.
Despite the Ukrainian claim, Russia has not issued an immediate response. However, earlier announcements from Russian authorities mentioned the destruction of six drones in the Black Sea, suggesting ongoing hostilities in the area.
This incident marks another instance of heightened tensions between Ukraine and Russia, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Notably, this is not the first time Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian warships, with a similar attack occurring in December when Ukrainian cruise missiles targeted another large Russian landing warship in Crimea.
