The Ukrainian military says it has destroyed a large Russian landing ship in the Black Sea off the coast of occupied Crimea in a combined operation of the armed forces and military intelligence.
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"The armed forces of Ukraine together with the military intelligence (HUR) have destroyed the Tsezar Kunikov, a large landing ship belonging to the occupiers," the General Staff of Ukraine's military said on February 14.
It said the vessel was struck by naval drones off the coast near the settlement of Alupka.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the Ukrainian claim, which could not be independently confirmed immediately.
But the pro-war Rybar Telegram channel, which is close to the Russian Defense Ministry, confirmed the attack, although without providing details.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy commented on the operation in his nightly video address.
"Today, more security in the Black Sea and more motivation for our people were added. This is important. And step by step, we will clear the Black Sea of Russian terrorist objects," Zelenskiy said.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was asked earlier on February 14 about the strike on the Tsezar Kunikov at a news conference in Brussels. Stoltenberg did not confirm the strike on the landing ship but hailed the progress made by Ukraine in pushing away Russia's fleet from the western part of the Black Sea.
"This is a great achievement and a great victory for Ukrainians," Stoltenberg said.
"Few believed that this was possible just a few months ago. But now, actually, the export of grain from Ukraine takes place even without an agreement with Russia, so this shows the skills and competence of the Ukrainian armed forces," he added.
The HUR said the operation was carried out by a special-forces unit called Group 13, which used Magura V5 naval attack drones.
"The Tsezar Kunikov received critical holes on its left side...and began to sink," the HUR said in its statement.
"It is symbolic that the Russian officer after whom the ship was named was killed exactly 81 years ago," the HUR said, referring to an officer of the Soviet Naval Infantry who was killed on February 14, 1943, during a landing operation on the Black Sea coast.
The HUR said that a Russian operation to save the survivors was "unsuccessful," although the anonymous Russian Telegram channel Two Majors, which publishes information from sources close to the security establishment, said that the crew was alive.
The Tsezar Kunikov, one of the largest Russian landing ships, was built in 1986 at a shipyard in the Polish port of Gdansk. It can transport equipment and more than 300 troops. The regular crew is 87.
The ship took part in Russia's military operation in Georgia in 2008, supplied the Russian military group involved in the conflict in Syria, and participated in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A Magura V5 unmanned marine vehicle
It was damaged in 2022 by a Ukrainian missile attack in the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk.
Ukrainian forces last week said they sank the Russian missile-armed corvette Ivanovets in the Black Sea in an operation carried out by the same elite Group 13 unit with Magura V drones.
In December, Ukraine said its missiles struck another Russian landing ship in Crimea.
The Magura V5 drone, the acronym for Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus V Type, was unveiled last year. The drone, which has the appearance of a sleek speedboat, has a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour, according to reports, and can carry a payload of 320 kilograms.