Russian warship destroyed in deadly Ukrainian strike on Crimea
A Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian navy ship at the Crimean port city of Feodosia has led to a blast and a fire, killing one and injuring several others, according to Russia's defense ministry.
The ministry said that Feodosia was targeted on Tuesday by the Ukrainian army using air-launched missiles, resulting in damage to the “Novocherkassk”, a large landing ship.
Sergei Aksyonov, governor of Crimea, said on the Telegram messaging app that one was killed, two were injured and six people were evacuated from their homes.
“There was an enemy attack in the Feodosia area. The territory of the port has been closed off,” Aksyonov wrote on Telegram.
He added that the explosion had ceased, and emergency personnel were currently trying to extinguish the flames.
“The residents of several houses will be relocated,” he wrote.
Trains were canceled and street traffic was partially blocked in Feodosia, where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is stationed.
Ukraine has repeatedly used naval drones laden with explosives to attack Russian naval fleets that dominate the Black Sea, prompting Moscow to block Ukrainian grain exports through its favored export route.
Russia launched the campaign partly to counter NATO’s further eastward expansion and to stop Kiev’s persecution of the pro-Russian population in eastern Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin said the goals were “demilitarization and de-Nazification” of the East European country.
Most of the Ukrainian attacks against Russia are reportedly carried out by Western-supplied ammunition.
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