Lt-Gen Kyrylo Budanov, the Ukrainian military intelligence commander, told War Zone that Ukraine used six Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatuses (MAGURA V5) uncrewed surface vessels in a complex attack on the Russian Navy’s Ivanovets corvette near the western coast of occupied Crimea overnight into 1 February.
With Ukraine’s Navy virtually non-existent, Ukraine employs missiles and the newly-created fleet of various maritime suicide drones to counter Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea. These tactics led to the destruction or severe damage to at least 17 vessels of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, including the sinking of the Moskva, the Fleet’s flagship, early in the all-out war.
The footage shared yesterday by the Main Directorate of Intelligence showed several surface drone strikes on the Russian naval vessel, resulting in what appeared to be a massive ammunition detonation aboard the ship and its subsequent sinking stern-first with the bow protruding from the water.
Ukraine reports the successful sinking of the Ivanovets, a Russian missile corvette, in the Black Sea. It's at least the 17th Russian ship destroyed/damaged during the all-out war. https://t.co/Jcgu6oh929 pic.twitter.com/y0Aiuj83k1
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) February 1, 2024
“In the course of special (active) measures in the period from 31 January to 1 February, the department planned and carried out the destruction of the Ivanovets on the raid of Lake Donuzlav,” Budanov told War Zone.
The Ukrainian intelligence chief added:
“During the destruction of the specified ship, six direct hits by naval drones were made to the hull of the ship. As a result of the damage, the ship rolled astern and sank. According to preliminary data, the search and rescue operation conducted by the enemy was not successful.”
In December 2023, the UK Defense Secretary stated that 20% of Russia’s Black Sea fleet had been destroyed by Ukraine over four previous months.
What Russian Black Sea Fleet ships were destroyed by Ukraine
Read also:
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