Russian Black Sea dominance ‘challenged’ after naval ship ‘destroyed’, Grant Shapps says
The UK’s defence secretary has welcomed reports Ukraine has destroyed a Russian naval ship in the Black Sea – claiming the airstrike proves the country’s critics are “wrong”.
The attack – confirmed by both Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday morning – targeted a vessel known as the landing Novocherkask ship, in Feodosia in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Responding to the developments, Grant Shapps said Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea “is now challenged”.
“This latest destruction of Putin’s navy demonstrates that those who believe there’s a stalemate in the Ukraine war are wrong,” he added.
“They haven’t noticed that over the past four months, 20% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been destroyed.”
Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of Ukraine’s air force, said that the attack destroyed the warship.
Writing on the Telegram messaging app, he said: “And the fleet in Russia is getting smaller and smaller!
“Thanks to the Air Force pilots and everyone involved for the filigree work!”
Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the ship had been damaged and claimed two Ukrainian jets had been shot down – which Ukraine has denied.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea, is reported as saying one person has been killed and two injured in the airstrike.
Footage posted on several Russian news outlets showed powerful explosions and fires over the area, which has a population of around 69,000 people.
“All relevant emergency services are on site,” Mr Aksyonov said, adding: “Residents of several houses will be evacuated.”
He said the fires were put out promptly.
Trains from the port town were diverted, and street traffic was partially blocked as a result of the strike, the Russia-installed administration of Crimea said.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that was widely condemned.
The area is a strategically important territory on the Black Sea. As the war has gone on, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been clear his armed forces are aiming to retake it.
During the 22-month conflict, both Russia and Ukraine have often exaggerated the gains and losses they claim to have inflicted upon each other.