The Sevastopol shipyards on Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, were burning early Wednesday and two ships were damaged after Ukraine launched 10 missiles and three attacks with unmanned speedboats (known as marine drones). ) against the port, reported the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Seven missiles were shot down by Russian air defense systems and the three boats were destroyed by a patrol ship, the ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging application.
"As a result of being hit by enemy cruise missiles, two ships under repair were damaged," the ministry said. The governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the largest city in Crimea and one of the main ports on the Black Sea, reported on Telegram that at least 24 people were injured. "All emergency services are working at the scene, there is no danger to civilian objects in the city," Razvozhayev said.
The strategic shipyard on the peninsula builds and repairs ships and submarines for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The fleet has launched numerous drone and missile attacks against Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24.
Razvozhayev posted a photo at night showing flames engulfing what appeared to be port infrastructure. The attack occurred at 3 a.m. Russian Telegram channels posted videos and more photos of huge flames at a waterside facility.
Kyiv has made no mention of the attack. Ukraine rarely publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but in recent months it has claimed that destroying Russian military infrastructure helps Kyiv's counteroffensive. At the same time, there has been an increase in attacks with aerial or naval drones, landing craft or missiles against the peninsula and its ports.
