Ukraine launched a devastating missile attack on the HQ of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet yesterday.
The nerve centre of Vladimir Putin’s naval operation was hit probably by a Storm Shadow missile – the type supplied by Britain and France.
Dozens of ambulances were scrambled to the headquarters in Sevastopol, the vast naval port in occupied Crimea.
Flames were seen licking into the sky and one major building had partially collapsed.
Russian authorities admitted the port had suffered “severe damage”.
The strike was seen as akin to the sinking of the fleet’s flagship, the Moskva, last year. Mikhail Razvozhaev, Putin’s city governor warned of the risk of a second attack.
As the raid was happening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Canada to rally support. It followed a whirlwind US tour where President Joe Biden pledged a further £265million – including long-range missiles Zelensky had requested.
Zelensky was grateful that both Democrats and Republicans promised to keep backing Ukraine.
But support is becoming contentious in some countries, with Poland saying it will no longer send military aid.
And in the US, Republican scepticism is growing. But Mr Biden warns: “Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalise Ukraine without consequence.”
The US Congress has now authorised more than £89billion in aid to Ukraine, but polls suggest support among Americans for further spending has declined. And there is also fear about the result of any Trump election win
