A Russian ship named Caesar Kunikov passes through the Dardanelles strait in Turkey en route to the Mediterranean Sea, on Oct. 4, 2015. Ukraine’s military said Wednesday Feb. 14, 2024 it sank a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea using naval drones, a report that has not been confirmed by Russian forces. The Caesar Kunikov amphibious ship sank near Alupka, a city on the southern edge of the Crimean Peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014, Ukraine’s General Staff said. It said the ship can carry 87 crew members. (Burak Gezen/DHA via AP, File)
Ukraine’s military has reported the utilization of naval drones to sink a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea, a claim as yet unconfirmed by Russian authorities.
The vessel in question, the Caesar Kunikov amphibious ship, purportedly sank near Alupka, situated on the southern periphery of the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014, as stated by Ukraine’s General Staff. It has been indicated that this ship has the capacity to accommodate 87 crew members.
Should this report prove accurate, the sinking would constitute a notable setback for the Russian Black Sea fleet and a notable achievement for Ukraine, occurring just 10 days before the second anniversary of Russia’s comprehensive invasion on February 24, 2022. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov abstained from commentary on the assertion during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, directing inquiries to the Russian military.
Ukraine finds itself in a defensive posture in the conflict, grappling with depleted ammunition supplies and manpower shortages. Nevertheless, it has sustained offensive actions along the predominantly stationary 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) front line.
This incident marks the second instance within a fortnight wherein Ukrainian forces have claimed the sinking of a Russian vessel in the Black Sea. Recently, they disseminated a video purporting to depict naval drones targeting the Russian missile-armed corvette Ivanovets.
Ukraine’s Military Intelligence, known by the acronym GUR, has attributed the sinking of the Caesar Kunikov to its special operations unit, “Group 13”, utilizing Magura V5 sea drones on Wednesday. According to officials, the vessel sustained damage on its port side due to explosions, although the veracity of this assertion remains ambiguous based on a heavily edited video released by the unit. This same unit purportedly carried out a similar operation on February 1.
Analysis provided by the private intelligence firm Ambrey suggests that the video indicates the involvement of at least three drones in the attack, resulting in the likely sinking of the ship due to significant listing on its port side.
The Caesar Kunikov presumably formed part of the Russian fleet tasked with escorting merchant vessels calling at Crimean ports, according to Ambrey.
Ukrainian actions targeting Russian aircraft and vessels in the Black Sea have contributed to the displacement of Moscow’s naval forces from the coastline, thereby enabling Kyiv to augment the export of crucial commodities such as grain through its southern ports.
A new era of unmanned weapons systems has emerged as a focal point in the conflict, both at sea and on land.
The Magura V5 drone, resembling a streamlined black speedboat, was unveiled last year. It purportedly boasts a maximum speed of 42 knots (80 kph, 50 mph) and a payload capacity of 320 kilograms (700 pounds). The Russian military refrained from immediate comment on the alleged sinking, instead reporting the downing of six Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight.
The namesake of the Russian vessel, Caesar Kunikov, was a decorated World War II hero of the Soviet Union renowned for his exploits, having perished on February 14, the same date as the purported Ukrainian drone strike, in 1943.
In related developments, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko disclosed via social media that an overnight Russian assault on the town of Selydove in the eastern Donetsk region had targeted a medical facility and a residential structure, resulting in the deaths of a child and a pregnant woman. Three additional children sustained injuries in the incident.
Selydove is situated merely 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the front line.
The president’s office reported on Wednesday that nine Ukrainian civilians had been killed and at least 25 individuals wounded due to Russian shelling over the preceding 24-hour period.
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