Ukraine war: Two Russian amphibious ships collide off Crimea, officials say

Ukraine said it attacked two amphibious ships, communications centers and other infrastructure used by Russia’s Black Sea Fleet off the coast of annexed Crimea.

The Ukrainian General Staff announced that the Yamal and Azov ships had been destroyed.

The governor of the Russian-built port of Sevastopol announced that 10 Ukrainian missiles had been shot down.

Russia also launched missile and drone attacks on the capital Kiev and the Lviv region early Sunday.

The attack began at 05:00 (03:00 GMT), and Kiev residents were evacuated to a metro station.

Officials said defenses shot down 18 Russian missiles and 25 drones. There was only minor damage.

Around 20 Russian missiles and seven drones targeted “critical infrastructure” in western Lviv. No damage was reported.

The military announced that a cruise missile entered the airspace of neighboring Poland, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“The object entered Polish airspace near the town of Osseld and remained there for 39 seconds. It was observed by military radar systems throughout the flight,” the military said in a statement.

Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamisz said: “If there had been any indication that this object was heading in the direction of a target in Poland, it would of course have been shot down and more appropriate measures would have been taken.” Told.

In a statement, the Russian-appointed mayor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvodzhaev, said the “large-scale” attack resulted in damage to residential buildings and transport infrastructure.

He asked residents not to publish any information or images.

The BBC has not been able to verify Ukraine’s claims that it damaged a Russian landing ship. Landing ships are used to land troops and equipment directly on shore without the need for piers or wharves.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Air attacks by both sides have increased in recent days, even as Russia has made slow progress in seizing some territory in the country’s east.

And Ukraine is attacking targets in Crimea more regularly.

In particular, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked the Black Sea Fleet, considered the strongest of the Russian navy. Satellite images from last year showed many Crimea-based warships leaving the peninsula for Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

The Russian amphibious ship Caesar Kunikov sank off the coast of Crimea last month, according to the Ukrainian military.

The sister ship Novocherkassk was collided in December last year while in port in Feodosia.

Last September, in one of the largest attacks on the Black Sea Fleet, Ukraine used up to 10 missiles and three unmanned boats to attack naval targets and port infrastructure. A huge fire broke out at the shipyard in Sevastopol.

So far, Ukraine’s biggest scalp in naval warfare has been the sinking of Russia’s flagship Black Sea missile cruiser Moscow in April 2022.

Ukraine has also repeatedly targeted the Kerch Bridge, a key supply route for Russian forces occupying parts of the country’s south.

Kiev has repeatedly said it plans to retake Crimea and all Russian-occupied territory.

Ukraine relies heavily on arms supplies from the United States and other Western allies to continue fighting Russia, a much larger military with extensive weapons and artillery.

The Black Sea Fleet is not only a base for attacking Ukraine, but also a major symbol of Russia’s centuries-old military presence in the region.

It was based in Crimea under a lease agreement even before Russia illegally annexed the peninsula.

President Vladimir Putin said Russia needed to take control of Crimea to prevent it from falling into Western hands.