Satellite Images Show Aftermath of Russian Black Sea Fleet Strikes

Satellite images have been released showing the aftermath of a missile strike claimed by Ukraine's military on a communications hub in the city of Sevastopol, in annexed Crimea, which is used by Russian President Vladimir Putin's prized Black Sea Fleet.

The two photos, dated March 21 and 24, are from California-based global imaging company Planet Labs and were obtained by Schemes, a project by U.S.-funded Radio Liberty. They show a building's roof collapsed in the attack.

On Sunday, Ukraine's military said it had successfully attacked the communications hub, unspecified infrastructure facilities, as well as two of Russia's large landing ships, the Yamal and the Azov, dealing another blow to Putin as Kyiv targets his Black Sea Fleet.

Russian officials didn't confirm the strikes and damage caused, but the Kremlin-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said on his Telegram channel that it was the "most massive attack in recent times."

Ukraine has targeted Russia's Black Sea Fleet throughout Putin's full-scale invasion of the country, which began in February 2022, as Kyiv vows to reclaim Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces Center for Strategic Communications (StratCom) said Kyiv's forces had by February 6 "disabled" about 33 percent of the Back Sea Fleet's warships.

Ivan Stupak, a former officer in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and now an adviser to the Ukrainian parliament's national security, defense and intelligence committee, told Newsweek last month that Russia's Black Sea Fleet has suffered extensive casualties in the ongoing war.

Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk praised the strikes in a post on his social media channels, writing: "The sky and the sea are of the same color! I thank the pilots and navy for their successful combat work! Crimea is ours! To the victory together!"

U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said the attack on the Russian landing ships marked a "historic moment" for Ukraine.

"In plain English, it means that Putin can no longer exercise safely in the Black Sea, even though the Russian Fleet has operated there since 1783," Shapps said, adding that the U.K. will continue to support Kyiv in the war as the world "cannot afford" for Ukraine to lose.

The British defense ministry assessed last week that Russia had begun painting decoy submarines at its Black Sea ports in a bid to protect its assets from Ukrainian attacks.

Russia is disguising its Black Sea Fleet vessels with black paint, "likely to make their warships appear smaller and a less appealing target," the defense ministry said. "Silhouettes of vessels have also been painted on the side of quays, probably to confuse Ukrainian uncrewed aerial vehicle operators."

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