May 16, 2023
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Over the weekend, an unforeseen drone attack by Ukrainian forces impaired Admiral Makarov, a Russian Black Sea flagship vessel, on the Crimean port of Sevastopol. The frigate was one of the three Russian vessels to be attacked on Saturday.
The navy of Ukraine had been striving to hunt down the missile-armed vessel for many months. A pack of drones reportedly struck Russia’s navy close to 4.20 am. Per relevant Ukrainian officials, it was not clear if Admiral Markov was crippled or he escaped with light damages, the Guardian informed.
Per sources, it is understood that there was a breach in the hull, and the radar systems were smashed. However, this needs to be validated.
Another video reflects an attack on a Russian Natya-class minesweeper; about six to eight drones were deployed to attack the fleet, the Kyiv Independent informed. The defence ministry of Russia said there were minor damages to the minesweeper.
On 29 October, Moscow reportedly blamed Kyiv for deploying nine drones to Sevastopol. These drones have been successfully recovered and are being thoroughly analyzed. Zelenskyy’s government has not claimed any responsibility for the attack, while aides to the president could have given hints that Ukraine was behind such an attack.
Several drone attacks on 31 July and 20 August on Russia’s naval headquarters, based in Sevastopol, damaged the buildings. Also, in April 2022, a Moskva battleship, a Soviet-built gun platform, sank. It had about 510 crew members onboard.
References: The Guardian, The Week
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