Current:Home > StocksUkrainian military says it sank a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea -PrimeFinance
Ukrainian military says it sank a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea
View
Date:2025-04-14 23:10:02
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it used naval drones to sink a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea, a report that has not been confirmed by Russian authorities.
The Caesar Kunikov amphibious ship sank near Alupka, a city on the southern edge of the Crimean Peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014, Ukraine’s General Staff said. It said the ship can carry 87 crew members.
Sinking the vessel would be another embarrassing blow for the Russian Black Sea fleet and a significant success for Ukraine 10 days before the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the claim during a conference call with reporters Wednesday. He said questions should be addressed to the Russian military.
Ukraine has moved onto the defensive in the war, hindered by low ammunition supplies and a shortage of personnel, but has kept up its strikes behind the largely static 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) front line.
It is the second time in two weeks that Ukrainian forces have said they sank a Russian vessel in the Black Sea. Last week, they published a video that they said showed naval drones assaulting the Russian missile-armed corvette Ivanovets.
Ukraine’s Military Intelligence, known by its Ukrainian acronym GUR, said its special operations unit “Group 13” sank the Caesar Kunikov using Magura V5 sea drones on Wednesday. Explosions damaged the vessel on its left side, it said, though a heavily edited video it released was unclear. The same unit also struck on Feb. 1, according to officials.
The private intelligence firm Ambrey said the video showed that at least three drones conducted the attack and that the ship likely sank after listing heavily on its port side.
The Caesar Kunikov probably was part of the Russian fleet escorting merchant vessels that call at Crimean ports, Ambrey said.
Ukrainian attacks on Russian aircraft and ships in the Black Sea have helped push Moscow’s naval forces back from the coast, allowing Kyiv to increase crucial exports of grain and other goods through its southern ports.
A new generation of unmanned weapons systems has become a centerpiece of the war, both at sea and on land.
The Magura V5 drone, which looks like a sleek black speedboat, was unveiled last year. It reportedly has a top speed of 42 knots (80 kph, 50 mph) and a payload of 320 kilograms (700 pounds).
The Russian military did not immediately comment on the claimed sinking, saying only that it downed six Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight.
Caesar Kunikov, for whom the Russian vessel was named, was a World War II hero of the Soviet Union for his exploits and died on Feb. 14, the same day as the Ukrainian drone strike, in 1943.
In other developments, an overnight Russian attack on the town of Selydove in the eastern Donetsk region struck a medical facility and a residential building, killing a child and a pregnant woman, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on social media. Three other children were wounded, he said.
Selydove is just 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the front line.
Nine Ukrainian civilians were killed and at least 25 people wounded by Russian shelling over the previous 24 hours, the president’s office said Wednesday.
___
Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- 'Most Whopper
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Ranking
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
Recommendation
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon