(Photo : IKTOR KOROTAYEV/Kommersant Photo/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - A picture shows detonation of ammunition caused by a fire at a military training field in the Kirovsky district of Crimea on July 19, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed about a fire at a military site in Moscow-annexed Crimea that forced authorities to evacuate thousands of civilians on July 19, 2023, the Kremlin said. News of the blaze came two days after Ukraine used waterborne drones to attack the Kerch bridge, a key military supply artery from mainland Russia to annexed Crimea. Authorities ordered the evacuation of over 2,000 residents from areas near the military field. A section of the Tavrida highway -- connecting the eastern Crimean port of Kerch to the port of Sevastopol on the peninsula's Black Sea coast -- was closed due to the fire.
A Ukrainian attack on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea damaged two ships and sparked a large blaze at an extensive naval facility that played a crucial role in the Russian war effort.
The Wednesday pre-dawn attack appeared to be the largest on the Russian naval headquarters in the occupied port city of Sevastopol since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly 19 months ago, highlighting Ukraine's growing ability to strike targets deep within Russian-held territory.
Ukraine Says Russian Naval Vessels Badly Damaged
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated in a statement that Ukraine had simultaneously launched 10 cruise missiles at the facility and three maritime drones at a Russian warship in the Black Sea. Per the NY Times, the ministry stated that air defense systems fired down seven cruise missiles, and the patrol ship Vasily Bykov obliterated the unmanned drones.
Only after locals uploaded images of explosions and raging flames at the Sevmorzavod shipyard on social media did Moscow finally acknowledge a successful Ukrainian attack in Crimea.
Later, the Russian-backed governor of Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhaev, shared a photo that appeared to show the port side of a large landing ship ablaze, though the extent of the damage was unknown. Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, speculated that a long-range airstrike played a role in the assault.
According to Russian military bloggers and a Russian news outlet, the assault damaged an enhanced Kilo-class attack submarine, the Rostov-on-Don, and a Ropucha-class landing ship, the Minsk. The predawn attack highlighted Kyiv's expanding missile capabilities as Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with long-range missiles and attack drones from afar.
The city is home to the Black Sea fleet, which the Kremlin employs to project influence into the Middle East and Mediterranean and, during the Ukrainian conflict, to impose a de facto blockade on Ukraine's seaborne food exports through the Turkish straits.
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Black Sea Grain Deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated recently that he would not renew an agreement enabling Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea safely until the West met Moscow's demands regarding its own agricultural exports.
Ukraine has attempted to counter the fleet's naval dominance by assaulting with explosive-laden sea drones, but Russia has continued to use its warships to launch missile attacks against Ukraine throughout the more than 18-month-long conflict.
It was not obvious what kind of missile was used by Kyiv in the attack on Sevastopol, which lies about 300km (185 miles) from Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa.
According to Ryzhenko, Ukraine may have employed Neptune anti-ship missiles modified for use against ground targets. He added that British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles were also a possibility. The Ukrainian military, which launched a counteroffensive at the beginning of June, publicly claimed responsibility for the attack, something it does not typically do.
At least 24 persons were injured, according to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-appointed governor of Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea and a significant Black Sea port. According to The Guardian, he uploaded an image of what appeared to be port infrastructure engulfed in flames at night. Russian Telegram channels shared videos and additional images of a facility by the water engulfed in flames.
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