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THIS is the dramatic second Putin’s prized Sergey Kotov corvette is blown to items in a Ukrainian kamikaze sea drone assault.
Footage exhibits the £51million warship being hit a number of instances within the early morning strike close to Feodosia, in occupied Crimea.
The video exhibits the warship being blown up in an enormous blast that finally led to its sinking.
Ukrainian intelligence confirmed the strike and mentioned the ship was completely destroyed after they used their very own Magura V5 maritime drones.
The warship “sustained harm to the strict, starboard and port sides” which led it to sink.
“The hearth defeat of the Kotov occurred within the territorial waters of Ukraine, not removed from the Kerch Strait,” a press release learn.
It isn’t the primary time Ukraine focused and broken the vessel.
One in every of Vladimir Putin’s most trendy warships, the 308ft lengthy patrol vessel Sergey Kotov got here into service throughout the conflict in 2022.
The vessel usually has a crew of 80 – and the destiny of these on board stays unclear.
The strike is a significant blow to Putin’s crumbling Black Sea fleet as it will mark the sixteenth Russian warship to both be sunk or destroyed by Ukraine.
Final month, a squad of Ukrainian particular officers blasted the 369ft Caesar Kunikov off the southern coast of annexed Crimea – killing everybody onboard.
This morning’s strike got here on an evening when the Crimean Bridge – the important thing transport hyperlink from Russia to the annexed territory – was additionally beneath sustained assault.
The £3 billion crossing was closed to visitors for not less than 9 hours however Russian sources denied the construction was broken.
A minimum of 5 “highly effective explosions” had been heard in Kerch, on the Crimean finish of the 12-mile street and rail crossing.
9 trains had been blocked – 4 from Crimea and 5 to the peninsula reported RIA Novosti state information outlet.
Whereas there was no official affirmation from the Russian aspect on the Sergey Kotov, pro-war shops on Putin’s aspect admitted the lack of the vessel.
“Because of an assault by unmanned boats of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Black Sea Fleet patrol ship of venture 22160 Sergey Kotov was misplaced,” reported Russian Telegram channel Navy informant.
“The crew is alive.”
Later Ukrainian GUR army intelligence claimed the warship had been hit by “maritime drones” early on Tuesday.
“All particulars of the defeat and the additional destiny of the ship are nonetheless being clarified,” reported Ukrainian Pravda.
Professional-Putin conflict channel Rybar reported the Kotov was sunk, saying the crew’s destiny was unclear.
Navy channel Two Majors additionally acknowledged the warship had been attacked by kamikaze sea drones.
The channel denied there was harm to the Crimean Bridge.
“One of many targets was the Crimean Bridge. The bridge is ok, the assault was repulsed.”
The bridge was reported to be lastly open once more after 8am native time in the present day flooding the nine-hour closure.
Professional-war blogger Alexander Kots mentioned: “The [Ukrainian] enemy had been chasing this patrol ship for a very long time.
“Official experiences alone included not less than three assaults on it by unmanned boats….
The crew “knew combat” and was geared up with two anti-sabotage grenade launcher programs, an artillery mount, and two anti-aircraft programs…”
Within the in a single day assault, the crew fought off an assault by the drones, he mentioned.
“The crew fought heroically till the top. This may be seen from the revealed video.
“However this time it was a narrative with no comfortable ending.”
The Kotov was armed with a 76 mm AK-176MA artillery launcher, the Shtil-1 multi-channel anti-aircraft missile system, short-range anti-aircraft missile system 3M-47 Gibka, two small-sized remote-controlled anti-diversion grenade launchers DP-65.
Ka-27PS helicopters may very well be based mostly on the vessel.
Individually, Ukraine shot down 18 of the 22 Shahed-type assault drones launched by Russia in a single day, reported the Kyiv air power.
Cell fireplace teams and anti-aircraft missile items of the Ukrainian Air Pressure repelled an intense assault over Odesa area.
And one other strike noticed the Russian Gubkin oil depot being engulfed in flames within the Belgorod area.
Russia’s naval losses
VLADIMIR Putin has been left red-faced by a collection of naval losses throughout the Ukriane conflict.
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