Ukraine Targets Russian Warship At Black Sea Base In Latest Drone Attack, Moscow Claims Foiled Bid

Russia-Ukraine War: The drone attack by Ukraine at the Black Sea Base is the first time when a commercial Russian port has been targeted in the 18-month war.

The Novorossiysk port lies just across the Black Sea from Crimea, from where Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Moscow thwarted another overnight attack. ( Image Source :Twitter/@walter_report )

Ukrainian sea drones on Friday hit a major Russian port, damaging a naval ship, as per a Ukrainian official cited by news agency Associated Press while Moscow claimed that it repelled the assault. This comes as the Black Sea has become a key battleground in the Russia-Ukraine war. The drone attack is the first time when a commercial Russian port has been targeted in the 18-month conflict, as per AP's report. The port is important not just for export, but also for hosting a naval base, shipbuilding yards, and an oil terminal and is key for exports.

The Novorossiysk port lies just across the Black Sea from Crimea, from where Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Moscow thwarted another overnight attack.

An official of Ukraine's security service told the AP that the Security Service and Ukrainian navy executed the drone attack on Novorossiysk and the landing ship, Olenegorsky Gornyak, suffered a serious breach.

Following the hit, the ship is unable to carry out its combat missions, the official added, as per AP's report.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, lauded the attack, saying that it showed “drones are changing the rules of the game.”

“What is happening in the Black Sea? Drones are changing the rules of the game, returning the waters to full-fledged foreign jurisdiction, and ultimately destroying the value of the Russian fleet. In fact, they are returning everyone to the international law of the sea... Therefore, the presence of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, and with it – #Moscow's traditional blackmail will be put to an end. #Ukraine will ensure freedom and security in the Black Sea for world trade,” he tweeted.

What is happening in the Black Sea? #Drones are changing the rules of the game, returning the waters to full-fledged foreign jurisdiction, and ultimately destroying the value of the Russian fleet. In fact, they are returning everyone to the international law of the sea...…

— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) August 4, 2023

On the other hand, Russia said that it fended off the attack, claiming that ships patrolling the perimeter of the naval base, including the Olenegorsky Gornyak, destroyed two sea drones.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the attack on the Black Sea port early Friday morning and later said that it had also repelled another attack by Ukraine on Crimea. The Russian air defense systems shot down 10 drones and it had electronically jammed another three, the ministry claimed, the report mentioned.

Purported visuals of the attack surfaced on social media.

Disclaimer: ABP could not independently check the veracity of the video

The moment russian large landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak was hit by Ukrainian drone in the Black Sea near Novorossiysk 🎯 pic.twitter.com/FCeKdvGin4

— Walter Report 🇺🇦 (@walter_report) August 4, 2023

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium operates an oil terminal in the port, it informed that maritime traffic was stalled for a few hours but facilities were not damaged. According to AP, the regional governor stated that there were no casualties.

The port attack is the latest in a series of strikes inside Russia and also shows an increase in fighting in the Black Sea after Moscow’s withdrawal from a key deal that allowed Ukraine to export its grains through the waterway. 

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