On 13 September, a Ukrainian military spy agency official, Andrii Yusov, said that an overnight attack on the port of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea had struck the Russian Navy’s large landing craft, a submarine, port infrastructure, the shipyard, according to RBC Ukraine.
“There is damage to the Ordzhonikidze shipyard in Sevastopol, including equipment. We can also confirm the strikes on a large amphibious assault ship and a submarine,” the intelligence official said.
Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk hinted in a social media post that the night attack on Sevastopol was carried out by Ukrainian aircraft, thanking the pilots.
Overnight on 13 September, at least eight explosions occurred in Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea, the Radio Liberty’s correspondent reported. The first one was around 3:00, the second one around 4:00.
After an explosion, a fire broke out at the Sevastopol shipyard, which is involved in complex repairs on Russian Navy ships.
According to BBC, citing Russian sources, Ukraine launched ten missiles and three unmanned explosive boats in an attack on the home base of its Black Sea fleet in Crimea.
The Russia-appointed governor of the port city of Sevastopol claimed most of the weapons were intercepted and destroyed. The Russian Defense Ministry said that two ships undergoing repairs at the Sevmorzavod shipyard were damaged by cruise missiles. The occupation authorities of Crimea said at least 24 people were injured in the fire.
Russia illegally invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine has consistently stated its goal is to retake the peninsula. Ukraine has targeted Sevastopol and the Black Sea fleet before, but this seems to be one of its most concerted attacks so far, BBC said.
Earlier, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary, Oleksii Danilov, said that Ukraine would liberate Russian-occupied Crimea using military force unless Russian troops left the peninsula. He said the liberation of Crimea was only a matter of time. Ukraine must pragmatically liberate all occupied territories to secure its sovereignty, return to the 1991 borders, and remove constant threats.
“[The night missile attack on Sevastopol, Russia-occupied Crimes] indicates that the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces have no place they cannot reach on the territory of the temporarily occupied Ukrainian peninsula. And for the aggressor, this is another indication that it needs to get out of here as soon as possible. Undoubtedly, some of the enemy’s personnel and equipment will be redeployed due to these events and this attack,” a Ukrainian military spy agency official, Yusov, said.
About Sevmorzavod shipyard
FSUE Sevastopol Sergo Ordzhonikidze Shipyard is a ship repair facility in Sevastopol with two production sites totaling 53 hectares. The factory is the main site for constructing and repairing Russia’s Black Sea Fleet vessels.
In 2015, the occupation authorities hijacked the facility, “nationalizing” it in favor of Sevastopol City, but in 2019, Russia made it state-owned and subordinated to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.
In 2017, the United States imposed sanctions on the plant because of its ties to the Russian military and intelligence services, and in 2021, it was sanctioned by Ukraine. In September 2022, Sevmor was added to the expanded US sanctions list amid a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Read also:
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- Ukraine allegedly launched over 190 drone attacks on Russia and occupied Crimea in 2023 – BBC
- Frontline report: Ukraine shows potential of Crimea’s liberation by conducting drone attacks, landing ops
