Large Russian warship destroyed in Black Sea, Ukraine says

Ukraine said it had destroyed another Russian warship in the Black Sea, a key battleground in the near two-year war (Photo: Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukrainian forces have destroyed a large Russian landing ship in the Black Sea off the coast of occupied Crimea, Kyiv’s military said.

Ukraine’s main directorate of intelligence (GUR) published a video on Wednesday of what it said was the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Caesar Kunikov – also spelt Tsezar Kunikov – burning and sinking a few miles off Alupka on the southern tip of Crimea.

There was no immediate comment from Russia, which said earlier that it had destroyed six drones in the Black Sea.

The GUR said the warship had been attacked with naval drones. The vessel was an amphibious ship, used to move troops to land fast in enemy territory.

If confirmed, it would be another embarrassing blow for the Russian Black Sea fleet and a significant success for Ukraine 10 days before the second anniversary of the war.

Earlier this month, the GUR claimed to have destroyed Russia’s Ivanovets missile boat in the Black Sea, and in December, Ukrainian cruise missiles struck another large Russian landing warship in Crimea.

Ukrainian attacks on Russian aircraft and ships in the Black Sea have helped push Moscow’s naval forces back from the coast, allowing Kyiv to increase exports of grain and other goods through its southern ports.

The Caesar Kunikov was named after a Second World War naval officer described as a hero of the Soviet Union, who died in 1943 on 14 February – the same date his namesake ship was destroyed.

Additional reporting by agencies