Disaster for Putin as Ukraine ‘hits Russian warship’ in yet another blow to his navy | World | News
Ukraine heaped more pain and humiliation on Vladimir Putin’s navy on Thursday, following a successful special forces operation. Despite having no real navy to speak of, Kyiv’s army has inflicted substantial damage on Russia‘s Black Sea Fleet since the outbreak of full-scale hostilities in 2022.
Roughly one third of the fleet’s ships have either been destroyed or severely damaged in drone and missile attacks. This includes the spectacular sinking of the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship in April 2022, the cruiser Moskva. The ongoing attacks have forced Putin’s admirals to move the fleet away from Crimea to Novorossiysk, significantly weakening Russia‘s ability to control the Black Sea.
In the latest covert operation, troops from Ukraine‘s military intelligence HUR launched an attack on a Russian Buyan-M-class small missile ship. The vessel is used to launch Kalibr cruise missile attacks against Ukrainian targets.
The “Prymary” special forces unit used drones and missiles to strike the ship as it was sailing near Russian-occupied Crimea in the Azov Sea. The drones damaged the ship’s radar system, forcing it to retreat from its patrol zone before it had chance to unleash its payload.
The HUR published a video of the daring attack to social media channels, which was widely shared by users. Images shot from a kamikaze drone show it approaching the vessel at speed, before smashing into it.
The Buyan-M-class ship, also designated Project 21631, is a small but heavily armed corvette capable of operating in shallow waters.
The vessel was among the first Russian surface ships used to launch Kalibr missiles.
HUR also claimed on August 21 that it had struck a Russian patrol boat in the Black Sea near the occupied town of Zaliznyi Port in Kherson Oblast, killing five crew members.
Meanwhile, Russian forces attacked a Ukrainian ship in the Danube estuary, killing one sailor and injuring several others.
The vessel was hit just after midnight, causing it to capsize. Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmitry Pletenchuk said: “We confirm the fact of the strike on the ship, and we are currently dealing with the consequences of the attack.”
