Ukrainian air strike damages Russian warship in Black Sea

New Delhi, Dec 26: Ukraine has confirmed an airstrike on a Russian warship in the Black Sea port of Feodosiya in Crimea. Russia has officially acknowledged the incident, reporting damage to the large landing ship Novocherkassk.

The attack, carried out early on Tuesday morning, involved Ukrainian aircraft armed with guided missiles. The head of the Ukrainian Air Force declared the destruction of the Novocherkassk, emphasizing the effectiveness of their warplanes.

Sergei Aksyonov, the head of Crimea, said that one person lost their life in the attack, while several others sustained injuries. Six buildings were damaged, leading to the relocation of a few individuals to temporary accommodation centres.

Despite the chaos, port transport operations are reportedly functioning normally.

Satellite imagery from December 24 provides a visual insight into the aftermath, revealing a ship in Feodosiya's port resembling the dimensions of the Novocherkassk—an amphibious landing ship designed for troop, weapon, and cargo transport to shore.

This recent clash is not Novocherkassk's first encounter with Ukrainian forces. In March 2022, the ship faced damage in an attack on the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk, where another amphibious assault ship, the Saratov, was sunk.

The roots of this conflict trace back to Russia's seizure and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, with its forces playing a pivotal role in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The latest engagement in Feodosiya adds another chapter to the ongoing maritime conflict, with both sides asserting conflicting narratives regarding the extent of damage inflicted on the Novocherkassk.