Crimea, Ukraine – Ukraine’s air force announced on Tuesday that it had reportedly destroyed a significant Russian landing ship stationed in Crimean waters. This development comes after the Russian-installed governor of Crimea reported that Kyiv’s assault had ignited a fire in the port of Feodosia.
The commander of Ukraine’s air force, Mykola Oleshchuk, expressed his gratitude on the Telegram messaging app, stating, “And the fleet in Russia is getting smaller and smaller! Thanks to the Air Force pilots and everyone involved for the filigree work!” However, he did not provide any concrete evidence to support the claim.
In a separate statement, Ukraine’s air force reported that its pilots had launched an attack on Feodosia at approximately 02:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) using cruise missiles, resulting in the destruction of the Novocherkassk vessel belonging to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Like the previous statement, this report lacked verifiable evidence, and there has been no immediate response from Russia regarding the alleged destruction of the ship. The type and quantity of missiles used by Ukraine remain unknown.
Earlier in the day, Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea, confirmed that the Ukrainian attack had caused a fire in the port area of Feodosia, which local emergency services swiftly managed to contain.
Aksyonov stated on Telegram, “All relevant emergency services are on site, and residents of several houses will be evacuated.” The administration of Crimea, which is under Russian control, cited “technical reasons” for the temporary suspension of train departures from Feodosia and partial road closures within the town.
Feodosia, with a population of approximately 69,000 people, is situated on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula.
Videos circulating on various Russian news outlets on Telegram captured powerful explosions and fires in the port area, illustrating the scale of the incident.
It is worth noting that both Russia and Ukraine have a history of making exaggerated claims regarding losses inflicted upon each other during the 22-month-long conflict while downplaying their own casualties and equipment losses.
Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 remains a contentious issue on the international stage, with widespread condemnation of the move. The situation in the region continues to be closely monitored as new developments unfold.
