Likely, majority of Tsezar Kunikov crew perished: Ukrainian Navy

Photo: Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesman for the Naval Forces (facebook.com/Taclbery)

A considerable part of the crew of the large landing ship Tsezar Kunikov perished, reports the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk.

As Pletenchuk noted, the enemy is attempting to conceal its losses, so it is currently unknown how many Russians perished as a result of the ship’s destruction. However, the circumstances suggest that it was a “considerable” part of the crew.

“A ship doesn’t sail on its own in the sea. Accordingly, the crew, although perhaps not in full, but most likely in full, was present on board. Considering the weather conditions, the time of day – it was dark after all – there is a high probability that a considerable portion of the crew perished. They were quickly taken from the shore, in what condition – it’s hard to say,” explained the Navy spokesperson.

Destruction of the Russian ship Tsezar Kunikov

On February 14, explosions were heard in the vicinity of Alupka. Russians deployed their helicopters, and footage of smoke in the sea circulated online. The Russian Ministry of Defense, as usual, claimed to have repelled a drone attack.

Later, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that a large landing ship of the occupiers, Tsezar Kunikov, was destroyed near the coast of temporarily occupied Crimea. At the time of the attack, the ship was in Ukrainian territorial waters near Alupka.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine showcased a video of the sinking of the Russian landing ship, noting that it was attacked by the Magura V5 naval drones.

Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, stated that most of the crew of the Russian landing ship Tsezar Kunikov, which was destroyed in the Black Sea, didn’t manage to save.

For more information about the Tsezar Kunikov ship, read this article.