Overnight on 10 November “strikes” occurred in the port city of Chornomorsk in Russia-occupied Crimea, the Telegram channel “Crimean Wind” reported.
Russia’s Defense Ministry alleged Ukrainian drones were shot down over the peninsula. “Rescuers are clearing debris at the barracks hit by the strike,” the channel said. “Divers started working at sea, looks like boats were also hit.”
Kyiv has not yet commented on the statements. There are also no independently verified claims about explosions at this time.
Since August 2022, explosions have been heard in Crimea almost every day. The Russian authorities explain this as shooting at “Ukrainian drones,” “air defence operations,” or Russian military exercises.
In an interview with Radio Liberty in August, the head of the Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Ukrainian forces are able to reach any point in occupied Crimea to defeat the enemy. According to him, there are many different options for the de-occupation of Crimea, but “it is impossible without military action.”
Recently, on 9 November, Russian air defence units shot down a Neptune anti-ship missile over the Black Sea near Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea. According to Suspilne media outlet, local residents reported hearing a loud explosion in Sevastopol.
The Russian Ministry of Defense later said in a Telegram message that its military “stopped an attempted missile attack” with a Neptune anti-ship missile.
On 6 November, the Department for Strategic Communications of Ukraine’s Armed Forces (StratCom) confirmed that the Russian Navy’s Askold small missile carrier sustained damage during a Ukrainian strike at a shipyard in Russian-occupied Crimea on 4 November.
“Confirmed. The Russian Askold missile carrier, the newest Karakurt-class ship with stealth technology, was damaged in a [Ukrainian Armed Forces] strike on the naval and port infrastructure of the Zalyv shipyard in temporarily occupied Crimea,” Stratcom’s Facebook post reads.
The report says that “according to available information,” the ship has suffered significant damage and may not be repairable.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine reiterate that Crimea is Ukraine. And the Russians will not hide anywhere,” StratCom wrote.
In addition, CCTV footage emerged on social media showing the missile attack on the Kerch shipyard on 4 November as at least three missiles hit the shipyard and the Askold docked there:
- Ukraine conducted a series of strikes on a shipyard located in the occupied Crimea’s Kerch, Stratcom reported on 4 November.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the strike, claiming to have intercepted 13 of 15 cruise missiles.
- Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said the damaged ship was the Russian Navy’s Askold.
- Commander of Ukraine’s Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuk, indicated the possibility of SCALP missiles being used in a Telegram post after the strike.
The Askold is the Russian Navy’s small missile carrier that entered service in 2021. With an approximate displacement of 870 tons, a length measuring 67 meters, and an estimated top speed of 30 knots, the ship boasted an impressive armament, including an artillery mount, air defence systems, and eight Kalibr anti-ship missile launchers. It was manned by a crew of approximately 39 sailors.
Updated:
On the morning of 10 November, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine confirmed that Ukrainian forces hit new models of Russian equipment in Russia-occupied Crimea, in particular, boats that Russia used to transport various equipment.
“The defeat of these boats certainly poses a serious problem for the Russian army, given all the previous losses of the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” Representative of the Press Service of Ukraine Defence Intelligence Andrii Yusov said.
The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine also released a video of the night operation. They added that the ships were crewed and loaded with armoured vehicles, including BTR-82.
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