Russia’s defense ministry announced on Friday that it successfully repelled a drone attack on its naval base in Novorossiysk, a port on the Black Sea. However, what the defense ministry failed to mention was that one of its naval ships, the Olenegorsky Gornyak, was severely damaged in the attack as reported by the BBC. An unverified video shows an unmanned sea drone approaching the ship under the cover of darkness. The drone, allegedly carrying nearly 1,000 pounds of dynamite, detonates upon impact. Another video reveals the heavily listing ship after the blast.
According to Ukrainian government adviser Anton Gerashchenko, the explosion caused a significant hole in the ship, and images captured by Sky News show the ship sitting low in the water as it is towed into port. The Olenegorsky Gornyak is designed to launch amphibious forces near the shore and quickly unload cargo at ports, making any damage obstructive to Russia’s resupply efforts in southern Ukraine where they are engaged in conflict.
There were approximately 100 Russian servicemembers on board during the attack. CNN reports that the attack was a joint effort by the Ukrainian Navy and Security Service of Ukraine. Novorossiysk’s mayor stated that the crew, along with the crew of another vessel, acted promptly to prevent further damage according to the Wall Street Journal.
Despite the attack, the Russian Seafarers Union asserts that everything is calm at the port and that operations are continuing as normal. However, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which loads oil onto tankers at the port, stated that ship movements had been halted. This disruption is significant as Novorossiysk is Russia’s largest port in terms of cargo volume and is crucial for Russian exports like oil and grain, as well as serving as a base for their Black Sea Fleet.
In addition to the drone attack on the naval base, Russia claimed to have intercepted two more Ukrainian sea drones at the port, contradicting the video evidence. Separately, Russia reported downing 10 Ukrainian drones and neutralizing three others in Crimea on the same day.
Overall, the attack on the Russian naval ship, combined with the disruption at the port, poses challenges to Russia’s ongoing military operations and logistics in the region.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
