Russian landing ship Caesar Kunikov sunk off Crimea, says Ukraine
According to Ukraine’s armed forces, a large amphibious vessel from Russia, the Caesar Kunikov, has sunk near the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea.
Early on Wednesday morning, powerful explosions were reported, with local social media indicating that the landing ship was struck not far south of Yalta.
Ukraine has targeted Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea on multiple occasions, and satellite imagery from last year revealed significant movement of the fleet away from the peninsula.
The Main Directorate of Intelligence in Ukraine released a video purportedly showing Magura V5 naval drones attacking the landing ship.
Russia’s extensive conflict in Ukraine is approaching its third year, and Ukraine’s armed forces acknowledge the situation as “extremely complex.” Newly appointed commander-in-chief Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi visited the front line on Wednesday, following a Russian missile strike that claimed three lives in the eastern town of Selydove.
While Russia’s navy hasn’t confirmed the sinking of the Caesar Kunikov in the Black Sea, they acknowledged the destruction of six Ukrainian drones. Recent video footage depicting the aftermath of the Ukrainian attack was verified by BBC Verify.
“The Caesar Kunikov suffered critical holes in its port side and began to sink,” Ukraine’s intelligence directorate said on the Telegram messaging site, adding that it had been destroyed in Ukrainian territorial waters by a unit called Group 13.
Amphibious ships are used to move assault troops to land quickly, especially in enemy territory. Russia has also used landing ships in recent years to ferry military supplies to Syria, in support of Bashar al-Assad’s government. twi
Russian military bloggers did not deny that Caesar Kunikov had been hit, saying only that the crew had survived. Russia’s military rarely reports major losses and Russians rely on a handful of popular bloggers for information.
The Caesar Kunikov dates back to the end of the Soviet era. If its sinking is confirmed, it would be the second successful strike in the Black Sea this month. A small warship, the Ivanovets, was hit by drones in a special operation almost two weeks ago.
Another Russian landing ship, the Novocherkassk, was hit while in port in Feodosiya in December.
