KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine's military said on Wednesday that it had sunk a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea using cutting-edge naval drones; however, Russian officials have not corroborated the allegation.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the amphibious ship Caesar Kunikov sunk 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) off the coast of Alupka, a city on the southern tip of the Crimean Peninsula that Moscow occupied in 2014. It claimed that 87 crew members could travel on board. According to a Ukrainian official, ammunition was also being transported by the ship.
During a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, declined to comment on the assertion. The Russian military should be questioned, he added.
A number of military bloggers from Russia verified the assault on the ship, but they did not confirm that it had been sunk.
In the conflict, Ukraine has gone on the defensive but has not stopped attacking the 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) front line.
Ukrainian military have claimed to have sunk a Russian warship in the Black Sea for the second time in the last two weeks. They released a video last week that they said depicted drones attacking the Russian corvette Ivanovets, which was outfitted with missiles.
GUR, the Ukrainian abbreviation for Military Intelligence, reported on Wednesday that the Caesar Kunikov was sunk by its special operations unit "Group 13" utilizing cutting-edge Magura V5 sea drones. It stated that explosions had destroyed the left side of the ship, but the badly manipulated footage it had published left much to be desired. As per the officials, the same unit also launched a strike on February 1.
Andrii Yusov of GUR declined to comment on the number of drones in use. However, he disclosed to the media that the operation required "a long time to prepare—routes are tracked, data is collected."
The landing ship has doors in the bow that open onto land, eliminating the need for the ship to dock, and it can assist amphibious assaults with tanks, soldiers, and other supplies.
Last year, the sleek black speedboat-like Magura V5 drone was introduced. It can supposedly carry 320 kilos (about 700 pounds) at its highest speed of 42 knots (80 kph, 50 mph).
The Russian military merely stated that it had shot down six Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight, without responding to reports of the purported sinking.
The Russian warship bears the name of Caesar Kunikov, a hero of the Soviet Union during World War II for his valiant actions. Kunikov passed away on February 14, 1943, the same day as the Ukrainian drone hit.
In other news, structures were damaged in a Russian strike that occurred over night in the eastern Donetsk area of Ukraine, according to posts made on social media by Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
The front line is about 25 kilometers (16 miles) away from Selydove.
According to the president's office on Wednesday, Russian bombardment during the preceding 24 hours resulted in nine Ukrainian deaths and at least 25 injuries.
