Ukraine Claims Destroying Russian Minesweeper In The Black Sea

Ukrainian forces have destroyed the Russian minesweeper Kovrovets.

Despite Ukraine’s relatively small naval force, the incident highlights the country’s continuous attack against Russian naval assets.

The Ukrainian Navy celebrated the achievement by saying that the Ukrainian Naval forces and their soldiers strive to bring them closer to victory.

The exact location of the attack and the weapons used were kept secret.

However, Ukraine has previously used exploding drone boats to target Russian vessels.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence reported the occurrence on X (previously known as Twitter), describing it as “another bad day for the Russian Black Sea Fleet”.

The Kovrovets, a Project 266M Natya class minesweeper, had been deployed for minesweeping operations, surveillance, and control sweep.

These Soviet-era ships, built in the 1970s and 1980s, can accommodate a crew of 68 people.

This incident comes after a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russian naval assets.

The Ukrainian Navy announced in March that it had destroyed one-third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s warships deployed before the war.

Following previous strikes on Crimea, recent operations have also targeted Novorossiysk, an essential Russian Naval base.

Speculative rumours have surfaced online claiming that a Karakurt class corvette, Tsiklon, commissioned in 2023, was destroyed.

The official Ukrainian authorities still need to validate these reports.

Russia’s response includes claims that it shot down nine US-provided ATACMS missiles and multiple drones over Crimea.

Russian official Mikhail Razvozhayev announced on social media that air defences were operational in Sevastopol, and no damage to civilian facilities was reported.

The Kovrovets is the second vessel in its class to be targeted by Ukraine.

The 200-foot minesweepers are armed with two 30 mm naval ammunition and Lynx Radar.

Ukrainian officials claim to have damaged atleast 24 ships and one submarine since the conflict began.

The strategic evacuation of Russian naval assets from Crimean ports to Novorossiysk has been reported, indicating the impact of Ukraine’s ongoing assaults.

The redeployment started on September 22, following the missile attack on Sevastopol.

Despite these naval victories, Ukrainian forces continue to face problems on the eastern front, particularly near Kharkiv.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently declared that Ukraine does not have an artillery shell shortage, strengthening the country’s defensive operations.

Ukraine’s Navy struck the Kommuna, a rescue ship launched in 1915, in April, adding to the series of successful strikes.

According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Strategic Communications Center, by early February 2024, 33% of the Black Sea Fleet’s warships, including 24 ships and one submarine, had been destroyed.

Reference: Business Insider

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Source: Maritime Shipping News