Even as the frontlines are stalled and look bleak, Ukrainian forces have continued to strike both deep into Russian territory and against naval assets along the Crimea coast. These attacks have done nothing to change the tide of the war from a strategic standpoint, but it seems borne out of Kiev’s desire to inflict revenge on Russia and to keep up pressure on President Putin. Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR) on Thursday announced that sea drones attacked and sank a Russian corvette in the Black Sea overnight.
The GUR claimed that the ship, identified as the Russian Tarantul-class Ivanovets missile corvette, was taken out while traveling in the western part of Crimea, near Lake Donuzlav. Ukraine Foreign Ministry official Olexander Scherba called the attack “impressive” and told the BBC, “At 03:45 [01:45 GMT] there was the first hit and at 04:00 the whole crew was evacuated already. So there was no chance at all that this vessel would be saved.”
Ukraine’s military intelligence subsequently released a video of the suicide sea drones approaching the ship. The video indicates that the Ivanovets received “direct hits to its hull” and was irreparably damaged. There’s the possibility that Ukraine may have had help from US or UK intelligence services in the attack (as with other high-level operations involving advanced military tech). Ukraine further said the vessel sunk afterward. Watch below:
Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/01/2024 – 23:20
