Ukraine sinks Russian warship in underwater drone attack in Black Sea near Crimea

Europe, News March 6, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Ukrainian military claims that it conducted an underwater drone attack against a Russian warship in the Kerch Strait of the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula. The attack resulted in seven deaths and the sinking of the warship, according to Ukrainian military reports.

The Ukrainian military intelligence source claimed the Russian warship, Sergei Kotov, was hit in the early hours attack on March 5, 2024, adding that the Russian Navy’s Black Sea fleet ship suffered damage to the stern as well as the right and left sides which eventually led to the sinking of the ship, seven death and leaving six Russian naval personal injured.

In a Telegram post, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) said 52 crew members were evacuated from the ship following the attack. The Ukrainian military also released a video that shows the attack and sinking of the ship. The post also mentions that Magura V5 Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) were used to conduct the attack.

The dramatic video footage seemed to validate the events of the incident, revealing dozens of kamikaze drones attacking the vessel. One drone collides with the hull, resulting in an explosion. Subsequent drones targeted the same area of the vessel, leading to additional explosions. The video was shared by Ukraine’s Group 13 special unit.

The Sergei Kotov is one of four patrol ships completed for the Russian Navy’s Project 22160. It had previously been attacked by Ukraine in September last year but survived. The Kremlin has not released any statement about the attack, but some Russian bloggers confirmed the sinking of Sergei Kotov.

Ukrainian forces hit Russian Navy's guided-missile corvette Ivanovets — *^{Ukrainian forces hit the Russian Navy’s Ivanovets missile boat in the Black Sea. (Image Credit: Ukrainian Defense Intelligence footage)}*

“Right now, this ship is on the seabed,” Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said in a statement regarding the attack. Pletenchuk added that a helicopter may have been on board the ship and was destroyed during the attack. The Sergei Kotov is usually equipped with a Russian Ka-29 transport and combat helicopter.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had “proven what we are capable of” against Russia’s navy and air force, but did not reference the sinking of the ship directly. “There are no safe havens for Russian terrorists in the Black Sea and nor will there be,” he said in his nightly video address following the attack.

The latest attack has resulted in the sinking of a fourth Russian naval vessel in the Black Sea. According to Ukrainian military sources, the vessel contributed to the assault on Snake Island during the initial days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Snake Island operation was headed by the flagship of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea fleet, the Moskva Cruiser. The Moskva was sunk by Ukraine in 2022 in a similar attack.