The Ukrainian Armed Forces have destroyed the Caesar Kunikov, a Russian large landing ship, in the Black Sea near the city of Alupka in annexed Crimea, the Ukrainian General Staff announced on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, which carried out the operation alongside the UAF, also confirmed the sinking of the ship, adding that Magura V5 marine attack drones had been used in the operation.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Caesar Kunikov sustained “critical breaches” on its port side and began to sink, with as many as 87 sailors on board, adding that a Russian “search and rescue operation had been unsuccessful.”
The Russian Defence Ministry has yet to comment on the Ukrainian claims, though it did report the destruction of six Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea on Wednesday morning.
Russian pro-war Telegram channels have confirmed the sinking of the ship, however. Telegram channel Military Informant wrote that the ship was attacked before sunrise by several kamikaze drones at once, received a critical breach, rolled over and sank.
Part of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, the Caesar Kunikov is based in Sevastopol, the Russian Navy’s headquarters in annexed Crimea. In 2008, the ship participated in the Black Sea Fleet’s combat operations during Russia’s brief war with Georgia.
