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Russian warship destroyed off Crimean coast, Ukraine says

The Caesar Kunikov large landing ship was sunk in the Black Sea by naval drones overnight, Ukraine's military has said

Michael Drummond

Foreign news reporter

Wednesday 14 February 2024 11:34, UK

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Video appears to show attack on Russian warship
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Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian warship off the coast of Crimea, Ukraine's military claims.

The Caesar Kunikov large landing ship was attacked by naval drones on Wednesday, Kyiv says, as videos emerged showing a column of smoke rising over the water.

Ukraine's military intelligence, known by its Ukrainian acronym GUR, said its special operations unit "Group 13" sank the Kunikov.

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The Russian military did not immediately comment on the claim, saying only that it downed six Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight.

It comes after Moscow's ambassador to the UK insisted on Tuesday that "Russia cannot be beaten" because of its "enormous" resources.

FILE PHOTO: The Russian Navy's large landing ship Caesar Kunikov sets sail in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik/File Photo
Image: The Russian Navy's large landing ship Caesar Kunikov

A video released by Ukraine's military intelligence appears to show the attack on the Kunikov, a Ropucha-class landing ship commissioned in 1986.

Taken from the point of view of one or more sea drones, the clip appears to show the unmanned vehicle approaching the warship.

Later, the video appears to show the warship on its side, apparently sinking after the attack.

The Kunikov had space to transport 10 main battle tanks and 340 troops.

Still from a video released by Ukraine's military intelligence that appears to show the attack on the Caesar Kunikov warship. Pic: Ukraine military intelligence
Image: The Kunikov appears to be sinking in this still from the video released by Ukraine. Pic: Ukraine military intelligence

At least two drones appear to have detonated

By Sam Doak, OSINT producer

Ukrainian military channels released footage that appears to show a Russian warship being targeted and sunk by multiple naval drones.

The footage, filmed from at least four drones, shows the unmanned vessels approaching the Caesar Kunikov, a 112.5-metre-long landing ship deployed as part of Russia's Black Sea fleet.

While the exact extent and nature of the damage inflicted is unclear from the video provided alone, at least two drones appear to have detonated towards the rear of the ship's port side.

Referencing publicly available images of the Kunikov, Sky News has confirmed that this is the vessel shown.

Through examination of the video shared by Ukraine, it is possible to determine where the Kunikov was hit.

One section shows a drone closely approaching the vessel's port side. In a later clip, a second nears the same area, showing it to be heavily damaged and partially alight.

The scale of the damage is made clear from a section of the video shot from further away, which shows the ship aflame, and heavily tilting towards its port side.

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Despite not having a large conventional navy, Ukraine has been able to wage war on Russia's vaunted Black Sea Fleet using armed drones as well as Neptune missiles.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said on X: "At the time of the attack, the ship was in the territorial waters of Ukraine, near Alupka."

It comes after the reported sinking of a Russian missile boat earlier this month, and the famous destruction of the flagship Moskva cruiser.

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