Ukraine Strikes Russian Black Sea Fleet Headquarters in Missile Attack

By Samya Kullab and Dasha Litvinova | Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — In a daring missile attack, Ukraine targeted the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, resulting in a missing serviceman and a severely damaged main building. Military officials from both sides of the conflict and images from the scene in Crimea confirm the attack.

Initially, the Russian Defense Ministry reported one servicemember killed, but later stated that he was missing following the attack in the port city of Sevastopol.

Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, the Crimean Peninsula has been a frequent target. Sevastopol, the main base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, holds significant importance for navy operations during the invasion of Ukraine.

Experts at the Institute for the Study of War emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s naval strikes in Crimea, stating it is crucial to degrade Russian morale and weaken its military. These targeted attacks complement Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive in the east and south of the country.

The missile attack occurred a day after Russia launched missiles and artillery strikes on cities across Ukraine, resulting in at least five casualties. The attack coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the United States, where a $24 billion aid package is under consideration. Zelenskyy traveled to Canada to seek further support from Western allies.

Previous attacks in Crimea led to civilian deaths, but there are no reports of military personnel casualties. The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, confirmed that there were no injuries outside the burning headquarters building.

The Ukrainian military claimed responsibility for the attack, with Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk, the air force commander, expressing gratitude to the pilots and sharing videos of air sirens and smoke rising from the building in a social media post.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that five missiles were shot down by Russian air defense systems in response to the attack. It remains unclear whether the headquarters was directly hit or if it suffered damage from intercepted missile debris.

Residents of Sevastopol heard explosions and witnessed the smoke, as confirmed by Russian news outlets. However, the authenticity of the videos could not be immediately verified by the Associated Press.

A stream of ambulances arrived at the fleet’s headquarters, and shrapnel was found scattered several hundred meters around the site. Local official Oleg Kryuchkov reported a grass fire caused by a cruise missile that was shot down near Bakhchysarai, about 30 kilometers inland.

Despite the attack, Razvozhayev assured that civilian infrastructure was unaffected, although the impact on the fleet headquarters was not mentioned. Authorities urged Sevastopol residents to avoid the central part of the city, as roads were closed and special security measures were implemented.

In recent weeks, Ukraine launched several attacks in the Crimea area. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Institute for the Study of War showed significant damage to a communications command center just outside Sevastopol.

On September 13, Russian-installed authorities accused Ukraine of carrying out the biggest attack in Crimea in weeks, targeting a strategic shipyard and causing damage to two ships undergoing repairs. A fire also occurred at the facility.

In another development, Ukraine claimed to have recaptured strategic gas and oil drilling platforms in the Black Sea, which Russia seized in 2015. The platforms were used by Russia for electronic warfare equipment and launching helicopters. Ukraine’s control over these platforms is seen as a step toward regaining control over Crimea.

In other areas of the war, shelling in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region led to one casualty and one injury, according to regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Meanwhile, over 14 settlements came under attack in Kharkiv, with no reported casualties, as stated by regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov. Russian forces also targeted Kremenchuk in the central Poltava region, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries, according to regional Governor Dmytro Lunin.

Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Associated Press journalist Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.

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