File photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Photo: Alexei Danichev, RIA Novosti
Moscow/Kyiv: Ukraine Air Force’s air defence missile units last night destroyed a large amphibious assault ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Novocherkassk, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
Videos posted to social media platforms showed large explosions at the Feodosia port in Crimea where the large landing ship was stationed. This was the second time since March 2022 that the Ropucha-class landing ship, which is a part of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet, was damaged in the attack. Russian officials confirmed that one person was killed and two were injured in the attack on the ship last night.
The UK Secretary of State for Defense, Grant Shapps, claimed today that Ukraine has destroyed 20% of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in four months.
Russia acknowledged the damage to Novocherkassk and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is also the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, summoned his Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on the Ukrainian armed force’s attack on Feodosia, and the damage to the ship, which was considered to be one of the twelve landing ships in the Black Sea that could launch an amphibious operation in Ukraine.
Russian Defence Ministry reported that Novocherkassk was damaged last night, as Russian military units were repelling an attack by the Ukrainian armed forces involving air-launched guided missiles.
“While repelling the air strike, air defence units destroyed two enemy Su-24 tactical bombers (that had launched the guided air-to-surface missiles) near Zhovten, located 125 kilometres northeast of Nikolayev,” the Ministry claimed.
Armed with two AK-725 57 mm artillery mounts and two 122 mm multiple rocket launch systems, Novocherkassk, could carry up to 500 tons of cargo and 225 soldiers. Earlier on March 25, 2022, it was damaged for the first time in a Ukrainian missile attack in the port of Berdiansk in southern Ukraine, when several Russian ships docked there were damaged and Saratov was sunk. However, Novocherkassk was not confirmed to be repaired due to the lack of spare parts because of the sanctions imposed on Russia. Ukraine, however, today claimed that the ship was the ship was being used to transport Iranian-made Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to attack its facilities.
– global bihari bureau
