Vladimir Putin’s navy has taken yet more damage as Ukraine successfully strikes a Black Sea ship Russia previously “stole” from them.
The Ukrainian navy confirmed the strike on the Konstantin Olshansky on Tuesday morning. Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said the “ship is not combat-capable” following the attack.
He added: “It had gone through a renovation and was being prepared for use against Ukraine, so unfortunately the decision was taken to strike this [ship].”
The Konstantin Olshansky was captured by Russian forces from Ukraine, along with most of their navy, during its invasion of Crimea in 2014.
Ukrainian forces also wiped out two other large landing ships, the Azov and the Yamal – which became inundated with water that had to be constantly pumped out.
Pletenchuk said a Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship missile was used to carry out the strike, marking the latest in a series of successful strikes on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in recent months.
Ukraine has also utilised seaborne drones, which it is said to be improving its stock of to make them more powerful.
The Crimean port where the recent attacks have occurred is believed to be one of the only locations where Kalibr missiles can be loaded onto vessels, impacting the Russian navy’s capacity.
Ukraine still manages to control several hundred kilometres of Black Sea coastline despite not having any large warships.
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Putin’s Black Sea Fleet is being pushed back from Crimea to Russia – away from the western Black Sea – due to the significant string of losses it has faced at the hands of Ukrainian missile strikes.
On land, Russian forces are gradually gaining territory in the Donetsk province of eastern Ukraine, though are still suffering losses in their attempts.
Ukrainian troops are managing to hold some defences, despite facing a munition shortage exacerbated by US Republicans blocking a military aid package.
