The Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a missile attack on the port of Feodosia, in Crimea annexed by Moscow; and the Kiev government announced that, in the operation, the Novocherkassk landing ship, used by the Russians to carry the Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones used to strike Ukraine, was destroyed. The Russian Defense Ministry admitted only that the ship was damaged and that President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed of the “damage”. The videos revealed images of explosions and smoke rising in the port area. According to the pro-Russian governor, six buildings were damaged during the bombing, damage mostly created by the shock wave. The attack, according to the Ukrainian military, was carried out by cruise missiles at around 02:30 local time.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 in violation of international law; and the Ukrainian government has repeatedly stated that it wants to retake the Black Sea peninsula. Since then, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked military targets in Crimea and in April 2022 sank the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine used air-launched missiles to attack Feodosia. The Novocherkassk, built in Poland and entered into service in the late 1980s, is designed for amphibious landings and can carry various types of armored vehicles, including tanks. According to Kiev, the attack was probably carried out using Storm Shadow missiles supplied by Britain or France. The spokesman for the Ukrainian Armed Forces Air Force, Yuriy Ihnat, denied the news given by Moscow according to which, in the battle, the Russian army shot down two Ukrainian planes; However, he claimed that the Ukrainian intelligence services participated in the operation. Meanwhile, pro-Russian authorities in Crimea have threatened to prosecute eyewitnesses who released photos and videos of the fire in the port. «Hostilities are ongoing, from time to time the enemy strikes Crimea. There are raids and successes. However, this is definitely not a reason to jump onto balconies in your underwear, shoot a video and post it online. In this way, you work for the enemy, you do the work of his intelligence,” said Oleg Kryuchkov, advisor to the head of the pro-Russian administration. All those who posted videos with footage of the raid – he added – have already been identified, “the work of the special services is underway”.
The attack is an undoubted success for Kiev’s strategy which aims to keep the Russian fleet off the Ukrainian coast. But this is nevertheless Kiev’s only major military success this year, because after several notable Russian steps backwards in 2022, the front line has remained almost unchanged and in recent weeks Moscow’s troops have further increased pressure on the eastern fronts and southern.
