Ukraine’s Navy said that the Russian ship destroyed by Kyiv’s forces on Wednesday was a “significant loss” for Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet stationed near Crimea.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced Thursday that its forces struck a Russian supersonic missile-armed corvette, dubbed the Ivanovets, during an attack on a Crimean airbase the day prior. The strike was carried out by “Group 13” of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, according to the MoD.
Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russia’s military infrastructure stationed in Crimea in recent months, with special attention on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s prized naval fleet. Britain’s Defense Ministry estimated in December that Moscow had lost about a fifth of its Black Sea Fleet in the span of four months.
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In a post to Facebook, Ukraine’s Navy touted destruction of the Ivanovets as a “pretty significant loss considering” the ship was one of three boats of its kind in Putin’s fleet. The small warship is equipped with anti-ship missiles with a range of more than 80 miles, according to the post. Ukraine’s MoD estimated that the Ivanovets was worth $60 million to $70 million.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces said that search-and-rescue operations for Russian personnel on the warship are underway. Kyiv’s Navy estimates that up to 40 crew members could have been aboard the ship when it was destroyed.
“This is not the first loss of the enemy in this brigade,” the post continued. Ukrainian sources told Reuters in September 2023 that one of Kyiv’s sea drones had damaged a small Russian Samum missile ship docked off Crimea. At the time, Russia’s defense ministry claimed that it repelled the attack.
“This operation is another reminder to the Russian aggressors that staying with impunity on the territory of previously occupied objects in Crimea is harmful to their health,” Ukraine’s Navy said.
Newsweek has reached out to Russia’s Ministry of Defense for comment.
Russia said that Ukraine fired at least 20 missiles at various targets around Crimea on Wednesday. Ukrainian Air Force commander Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk said on Telegram that Kyiv successfully struck the Belbek airfield near the port city of Sevastopol in the attack.
Newsweek could not independently verify Ukraine’s claims, but the Institute for the Study of War think tank said that geolocated footage showed “large smoke plumes rising from the airfield” in question. Both Ukrainian and Russian sources also reported strikes at the Saky air base close to the Crimean city of Yevpatoria.
Russia’s defense ministry said that it shot down all missiles launched by Ukraine in the attack, adding that “Fragments of Ukrainian missiles fell on the territory of a military unit” north of Sevastopol, near a Black Sea Fleet base. Moscow claimed that there was no damage to Russian aircraft stationed in Crimea.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.