Ukraine Seizes 'Maritime Momentum' From Russia With Sinking of Warship: UK

Ukraine's forces have taken the "maritime momentum" away from Russia in the nearly two-year war after sinking another ship that was part of Moscow's Black Sea Fleet, according to British intelligence.

Kyiv officials announced on Wednesday that it had successfully struck Russia's Caesar Kunikov landing ship in a drone strike near the city of Alupka in southern Crimea. The Kremlin has declined to comment on such reports so far.

In an intelligence update a day later, the U.K.'s Defense Ministry confirmed Ukraine had conducted a "successful" attack on the Russian Ropucha-class landing craft, noting that the drone strike "almost certainly resulted in the sinking of the vessel." According to the update, Kyiv has now sunk three of Moscow's Ropucha-class vessels since the start of the war in February 2022.

"The vessel is heavily relied on to provide logistical support to the Black Sea Fleet and the Russian war in Ukraine," British intelligence continued in its update. "The loss of the vessel will almost certainly further constrain the limited Russian resources available in the Black Sea and leave the Black Sea Fleet logistical chain vulnerable to additional attacks."

Ukraine has taken out a large chunk of Russia's naval fleet in recent months. In late December, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said that the Kremlin had lost 20 percent of its Black Sea ships in a span of four months.

As of February 6, Ukraine's armed forces estimated that about 33 percent of Russia's warships in its Black Sea Fleet had been "disabled" by Kyiv's attacks.

"Ukraine's ingenuity has highly likely deterred Russia from operating freely in the western Black Sea and enabled Ukraine to seize the maritime momentum from Russia," U.K.'s Defense Ministry added in its report Thursday.

Newsweek has reached out to Russia's Defense Ministry via email for comment.

Local Telegram channels reported on Thursday that Russian Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the commander of the Kremlin's naval fleet, was "sacked" following the sinking of the Caesar Kunikov. Newsweek was unable to independently verify such claims, and Moscow has yet to comment on the reports.

Ukraine officials also said that most crew members aboard the Caesar Kunikov are believed to have died in the drone attack Wednesday.

"According to available information, there was ammunition there, and most of the crew did not manage to escape," Andriy Yusov, Ukraine's military intelligence spokesperson, told Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform.

Yusov added that the "destruction of the large landing ship is a big blow to the capabilities of the aggressor's fleet."

"They will not be able to conduct amphibious operations against Ukraine for a long time," he said.

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