Ukrainian Special Operations Forces shared details of how Ukraine carried out the strike on a Russian warship and submarine in occupied Crimea’s Sevastopol on 13 September, as well as a video of the aftermath of the strike.
First, the SOF received information from several sources about the probable location of the large landing ship Minsk and the diesel-electric submarine Rostov-on-Don at one of the ship repair enterprises in Sevastopol.
Then, SOF operators were engaged in identifying targets, guiding and adjusting fire, and reconnaissance in occupied Crimea.
The SOF team reached a safe place by boat and reached the Russian-occupied peninsula by moving underwater. Then, using “special technical reconnaissance assets,” they carried out identification and targeting.
During the direct hit (Ukraine’s air force said British Storm Shadow and French Scalp missiles were used in the attack), the group adjusted fire and confirmed the destruction of targets, after which they left.
Ukraine's special ops landed in Crimea to guide missile strike on Russian warships
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 16, 2023
In a unique operation, Ukraine's Special Operation Forces landed in occupied Crimea to direct a high-precision missile strike on a Russian landing ship and submarine in Sevastopol… pic.twitter.com/gTxs8cGfJo
“The above-mentioned information is published with a delay, taking into account operational security and making the enemy understand that there is no longer any safe place for them,” the SOF added.
Expert: Ukraine strikes Russian landing ships not over fear of landing but to suffocate Russian supplies
Strike on Russian landing ship and submarine in Sevastopol
On the night of 13 September, the Russian-installed occupation authorities of Sevastopol reported a fire at a shipyard in a naval base in Sevastopol following a massive missile attack by Ukraine’s Armed Forces. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the air defense took down seven out of ten Ukrainian cruise missiles and all maritime kamikaze drones launched by Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Commander of Ukraine’s Air Force Mykola Oleshchuk hinted that British “Storm Shadow” and French “Scalp” missiles were used in the attack.
The UK Intelligence reported that despite Russia downplaying the damage, the Minsk landing ship has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov, one of Russia’s four submarines capable of carrying cruise missiles, has likely suffered catastrophic damage.
The open-source group Oryx reported that Minsk was likely fully destroyed, not merely damaged.
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