Army intelligence releases nighttime video exhibiting sinking of ship it mentioned was the missile boat Ivanovets.
Ukraine has mentioned it used sea drones to assault and destroy a Russian warship within the Black Sea close to the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula.
The army intelligence company, recognized by its Ukrainian acronym GUR, revealed a video on Thursday that it mentioned depicted a naval drone assault on the missile-armed corvette Ivanovets the night time earlier than.
The grainy footage, working about 2 and a half minutes and accompanied by a dramatic soundtrack, confirmed quite a lot of explosions, and the ship ultimately itemizing to 1 facet. It ended with the vessel sinking stern-first into the ocean.
“On account of quite a lot of direct hits to the hull, the Russian ship suffered injury incompatible with additional motion,” the intelligence company mentioned in an announcement accompanying the video, apparently made up of dwell feeds from the drones.
🔥 «Івановєц» на дні ― внаслідок спецоперації ГУР МО знищено ракетний корабель ворога
🔗 https://t.co/b8MQb3KJrk pic.twitter.com/Tu6uuaF2rt
— Defence intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) February 1, 2024
The GUR mentioned the assault had been carried out by its Group 13 unit and came about whereas the Ivanovets was on patrol on Lake Donuzlav in western Crimea. The lake was related to the Black Sea by a channel in 1961.
There was no official response from Russia whose Black Sea Fleet has come below assault by Ukraine earlier than, most notably with the sinking of the flagship Moskva in April 2022.
On that event, Moscow ultimately acknowledged the lack of the ship and mentioned the Moskva sank because it was being towed to port after “detonation of ammunition” triggered a fireplace.
Ukraine mentioned it had sunk the Soviet-era ship with a cruise missile, and the US backed up the declare.
It was not potential to confirm the sinking of the Ivanovets, however Russian army bloggers reported the realm had come below assault from naval drones through the night time, and that the Ivanovets had been hit.
Disinformation has turn into a key function of the warfare, which marks its second anniversary on February 24, and it was not potential to independently confirm the footage or claims.
The personal safety agency Ambrey mentioned Ukraine has used as much as six sea drones, every of which normally carry 300 kilogrammes (660 kilos) of explosives, within the assault.
A Western official additionally backed the Ukrainian account, telling the Related Press information company that it was “extremely seemingly that uncrewed floor vessels had been accountable for the strike on the Ivanovets”. The official spoke on situation of anonymity to debate intelligence.
The Ukrainian navy mentioned the lack of the Ivanovets, thought to have a crew of about 40 sailors, could be “important” as a result of Russia has solely three ships of the identical class in its Black Sea Fleet.
Crimea, which was invaded and annexed by Moscow in 2014, has come below rising assault by Ukrainian drones and missiles.
On Thursday, Russia mentioned it had destroyed 20 Ukrainian missiles over the realm.
