Ukraine Claims ‘Successful’ Strike On Russia’s Black Sea Navy
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
OTTAWA/KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The Ukrainian military said Friday that it carried out a “successful” strike on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea navy in Crimea, the peninsula Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Witnesses saw thick smoke billowing from the building following the attack. The Ukrainian Air Force reportedly used a type of cruise missile – Storm Shadow – supplied by Britain and France.
The attack came while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Canada as part of his attempt to shore up support for the war against invading Russia, with critics questioning the perceived slow pace of Kyiv’s counter-offensive.
Last week, Ukraine used the same type of missiles in another attack on Sevastopol in Crimea when a large Russian landing ship, the Minsk, and a submarine, the Rostov-on-Don – were hit in a dry dock.
Satellite images of the scene at the Sevmorzavod facility showed two blackened vessels, and the British Ministry of Defence said damage to the submarine would cost “hundreds of millions of dollars” to repair.
No vessels were believed to have been hit in Friday’s strike, but Russia’s defense ministry said one serviceman “is missing,” updating an earlier report he had been killed.
The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol warned residents to stay away from the city center amid concerns of more strikes after Kyiv also damaged crucial air defense systems.
MORE ATTACKS
Ukraine attacked Crimea this month, destroying a Russian air defense system and damaging the ship and the submarine in a dry dock.
Friday’s attack came as a boost for Zelensky, who is in Canada hoping to receive even more military aid beyond the billions in weapons already provided to his nation by the U.S., Canada, and other allies.
However, Ukraine also suffered setbacks Friday as a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk killed one and left a further 15 injured, including a child, Governor Dmytro Lunin said.
Air defense forces shot down one missile, and civilian infrastructure was hit, he added on social media.
As events unfolded, Zelensky was to address legislators and meet the government and representatives of Canada’s 1.4 million-strong Ukrainian community, the world’s second-largest Ukrainian diaspora after Russia.
This is his first trip to Canada since Russia’s invasion began in February last year.
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