Ukraine's military reports it destroyed a Russian warship in Crimea with an airstrike and took down fighter jets over the Christmas weekend.

Reuters

Ryan Robertson Reporter

International

Ukraine reports destroying Russian warship in Crimea

Dec 26, 2023

Ryan Robertson Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Reporter), Alex Peebles (Producer), Zachary Hill (Editor)

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It wasn’t Christmas lights illuminating the sky in Crimea overnight; video of what purports to be a Ukrainian airstrike against a Russian navy warship shows an explosion sending a fireball into the air. The size of the initial blast and secondary explosions indicate Ukraine likely used a deep strike missile like the Storm Shadow, and the ship was likely laden with other explosive munitions.

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According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the ship was the Novocherkassk, a large Russian landing vessel docked in the Crimean port of Feodosia. Ukrainian sources said the ship was destroyed, and open-source intelligence seems to confirm those reports.

https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1739595465530683833?s=20

If the ship’s crew had been aboard, dozens of sailors could have been killed, but Russia’s Ministry of Defense told a state-run news outlet the ship was only damaged in the strike and added that just one person was killed and two others injured. The ministry said the two Ukrainian fighter jets involved in the strike were also shot down shortly after that, but that can’t be confirmed.

This Christmas sets the right mood for the whole coming year.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The strike is the latest exchange in the war that, according to some, is fading into the background as the Israel-Hamas war plays out in the Middle East. But, while global support and interest may be fading, the war is not, and Ukraine continues to prove its prowess with the Western weapons it has left.

Ukraine said it took down five Russian fighter jets over the Christmas weekend using Patriot missiles supplied by Western allies. While Ukraine’s report has yet to be independently verified, if true, it would be an impressive feat and calls into question whether Russia can still claim air dominance in southern Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was grateful for the good news.

“In just one week, the terrorists have minus five planes,” Zelenskyy said. “This Christmas sets the right mood for the whole coming year.”

But that potential feat could be overshadowed by Russia’s claim it took control of Maryinka, a town strategically located on the eastern front. Like other towns in the area, it’s also mostly just rubble now, but if Maryinka did fall to Russia, that would be a blow to Ukraine’s battle plan and its soldiers’ morale; Ukraine’s military leadership maintains the town is not under Russian control.

Over the past few months, Russia launched offensives across Ukraine’s entire eastern front, stressing resources while Ukraine waits for more military aid from the U.S. Congress is still struggling to agree on what that might look like, so Ukrainian forces could be waiting a while.

Tags: Crimea, Russia, U.S. Congress, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

IT WASN’T CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ILLUMINATING THE SKY IN CRIMEA OVERNIGHT –

UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS SAY THIS IS VIDEO OF AN AIRSTRIKE AGAINST A RUSSIAN NAVY WARSHIP.

THE SIZE OF THE INITIAL BLAST AND SECONDARY EXPLOSIONS INDICATE UKRAINE LIKELY USED A DEEP STRIKE MISSILE LIKE THE STORM SHADOW…AND THE SHIP WAS LIKELY LADEN WITH OTHER EXPLOSIVE MUNITIONS.

ACCORDING TO THE UKRAINIAN AIR FORCE – THE SHIP WAS THE NOVOCHERKASSK (NOVO-CHIR-CASK) – A LARGE RUSSIAN LANDING VESSEL DOCKED IN THE CRIMEAN PORT OF FEODOSIA (FAYO-DOSSA). UKRAINIAN SOURCES SAY THE SHIP WAS DESTROYED…AND OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE SEEMS TO CONFIRM THOSE REPORTS.

IF THE SHIP’S CREW WAS ABOARD, DOZENS OF SAILORS COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED….BUT RUSSIA’S MINISTRY OF DEFENSE TOLD A STATE-RUN NEWS OUTLET THE SHIP WAS ONLY DAMAGED IN THE STRIKE….ADDING JUST ONE PERSON WAS KILLED AND TWO OTHERS INJURED.

THE MINISTRY SAID THE TWO UKRAINIAN FIGHTER-JETS INVOLVED IN THE STRIKE WERE ALSO SHOT DOWN SHORTLY THEREAFTER…BUT THAT CAN’T BE CONFIRMED.

THE STRIKE IS THE LATEST EXCHANGE IN THE WAR THAT, ACCORDING TO SOME, IS FADING INTO THE BACKGROUND AS THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR PLAYS OUT IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

BUT, WHILE GLOBAL SUPPORT AND INTEREST MAY BE FADING – THE WAR IS NOT – AND UKRAINE CONTINUES TO APPROVE ITS PROWESS WITH THE WESTERN WEAPONS IT HAS LEFT.

UKRAINE SAYS IT TOOK DOWN 5 RUSSIAN FIGHTER JETS OVER THE CHRISTMAS WEEKEND USING PATRIOT MISSILES SUPPLIED BY WESTERN ALLIES.

WHILE UKRAINE’S REPORT HAS YET TO BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED – IF TRUE – IT WOULD BE AN IMPRESSIVE FEAT…AND CALLS INTO QUESTION WHETHER RUSSIA CAN STILL CLAIM AIR DOMINANCE IN SOUTHERN UKRAINE.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE GOOD NEWS…SAYING:

“IN JUST ONE WEEK, THE TERRORISTS HAVE MINUS 5 PLANES. THIS CHRISTMAS SETS THE RIGHT MOOD FOR THE WHOLE COMING YEAR.”

BUT THAT POTENTIAL FEAT COULD BE OVERSHADOWED BY RUSSIA’S CLAIM IT TOOK CONTROL OF MARYINKA, A TOWN IN A STRATEGIC LOCATION ON THE EASTERN FRONT. LIKE OTHER TOWNS IN THE AREA, IT’S ALSO MOSTLY JUST RUBBLE NOW….BUT IF MARYINKA DID FALL TO RUSSIA, THAT’S A BLOW TO UKRAINE’S BATTLE PLAN AND ITS SOLDIERS’ MORALE…UKRAINE’S MILITARY LEADERSHIP MAINTAINS THE TOWN IS NOT UNDER RUSSIAN CONTROL.

OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, RUSSIA LAUNCHED OFFENSIVES ACROSS UKRAINES ENTIRE EASTERN FRONT – STRESSING RESOURCES WHILE UKRAINE WAITS FOR MORE MILITARY AID FROM THE U.S. – CONGRESS IS STILL STRUGGLING TO AGREE ON WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE – SO UKRAINIAN FORCES COULD BE WAITING A WHILE.

Ukraine reports destroying Russian warship in Crimea

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