Ukraine strikes Russian warships, Black Sea fleet infrastructure facilities in Crimea. Russia fires two ballistic missiles at Kyiv. Russian drones attack Odesa, Mykolayiv overnight, hitting energy infrastructure.
Ukraine strikes Russian warships, Black Sea fleet infrastructure in Crimea
On Saturday, Ukraine struck the Russian large landing ships Yamal and Azov, and unspecified infrastructure facilities of the Black Sea fleet in occupied Crimea. Russia’s Ivan Khurs reconnaissance ship may have also sustained damage in the attack. Ukraine’s defense intelligence said it had attacked one of Russia’s ship repair plants in Sevastopol, where the Yamal was docked. The landing ship is in a “critical” condition, with a hole in its upper dock. It had listed to the right side, the statement said. The extent of the damage to the “Azov” was not immediately clear.
Both vessels are Ropucha-class project 775 large landing ships. Ukraine has earlier hit four Russian warships of the same type. On February 14, Ukrainian Magura V5 sea drones sunk the Caesar Kunikov off the Crimea coast near Alupka. On December 26, the large landing ship Novocherkassk was struck by Ukrainian aircraft carrying cruise missiles in the Crimean port of Feodosia. On September 13, Ukraine struck the Minsk in a dry dock at a ship repair plant in Sevastopol with Storm Shadow missiles, causing “heavy damage” to the vessel. On August 4, 2023, the Olenegorsky Gornyak was struck and disabled in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk by Ukrainian sea drones.
Russia has only five landing ships left in the Black Sea, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk said. If Saturday’s strikes seriously damaged the Yamal and Azov, it would likely mean Russia had only three working landing ships left in the Black Sea.
Russia fires two ballistic missiles at Kyiv
Explosions were heard across Kyiv on Monday as Russia fired two ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian capital from Crimea. The Ukrainian Air Force said both missiles were intercepted. The debris came down in the Pecherskyi district, not far from the center of Kyiv, and several other areas. Monday marked Ukraine’s security service day.
At 10:28 a.m. local time, the Ukrainian Air Force issued a missile alert and warned in a message on Telegram that a missile was flying towards the city. The blasts happened right after the capital’s air raid sirens had started sounding. Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration said the air defenses were at work.
The attack destroyed a section of an arts academy building (the Mykhaylo Boychuk Kyiv Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design).
Air raid sirens went off seconds before the explosions happened, leaving the students and professors at the academy no time to take shelter. Luckily, the debris fell on a different wing of the building that was vacant at the time.
The academy’s sports hall, conference hall, and exhibition center were reduced to rubble. There were no fatalities.
Ten people were injured in the strike, with two of them taken to hospital, Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klychko said. A laboratory manager and a 16-year-old girl were hospitalized. The teenage girl was discharged the same day. Several others received medical attention on the scene. Rescue workers continue to dig through the rubble. Reports of a person trapped under the collapsed part of the building were not confirmed.
Russian drones attack Odesa, Mykolayiv overnight, hitting energy infrastructure
Overnight on Monday, Russia launched a Kh-31P anti-radar missile and a barrage of drones at Odesa and Mykolayiv regions in the south of Ukraine. Energy infrastructure and an apartment building were hit, leaving 11 people injured.
Russia launched a Kh-31P missile from tactical aircraft flying over the Black Sea at Odesa region, aiming to disrupt Ukraine’s air defenses before launching some drones.
The missile was disabled in the air, Ukraine’s southern military command said on Telegram. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
Russia then launched Iranian-made Shahed-131/136 drones from the Black Sea in several waves. Ukraine’s defense forces shot down four drones in Odesa region, and another four drones in Mykolayiv region. Some of the loitering munitions hit targets.
Sky Wars: Russia Vs Ukraine. Ukraine in Flames #589
In this episode of Ukraine in Flames, our experts discuss the current situation in the battle for air supremacy in Russia’s war in Ukraine, following a surge in jet takedowns in February, which was a huge success for Ukraine. The experts tell that, given Russia’s inability to reproduce many of its old air fleet, it creates a unique challenge for Russia in the run up to Ukraine receiving the long awaited F-16s. Take a watch of UIF #589 to find out more about the challenges Russia faces after losing numerous significant planes of all types, revealing its vulnerability to Ukraine’s ever evolving air defence
Guests:
- Oleksandr Kovalenko, Military and political observer of the Information Resistance group
- Petro Chernyk, Military expert, colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
