The Crimean Bridge was closed for 8 hours, although it has been opened again since.
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has said that its Group 13 special unit launched an attack on the Russian patrol ship Sergey Kotov in the Black Sea overnight Monday, damaging its stern, starboard and port sides, Telegram channel Prodolzhenie Sleduet reported on Tuesday.
The HUR also released footage of the attack, which it said had been carried out using marine drones.
The Sergey Kotov is a recent addition to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, having been commissioned in 2021 at an estimated cost of €60 million.
It remains unclear how serious the damage to the patrol ship is, but multiple Telegram channels have reported that the ship has sunk, or at least has been damaged beyond repair. Independent Russian media outlet IStories said that there may have been as many as 60 sailors on board. There has been no comment or confirmation from the Russian military.
Residents of the city of Kerch in Russian-occupied Crimea reported five loud explosions in the early hours of Tuesday, and the nearby Crimean Bridge, which connects Russia and Crimea, was closed for eight hours, according to Telegram channel Shot.
The Ukrainian Air Force said that it shot down 18 of 22 Shahed drones launched at Ukraine’s Odesa region from Russia overnight.
The four drones that were not intercepted reportedly damaged a disused recreational facility as well as a private house and a pier in the Odessa region.
