Ukraine claimed that 33 people, including Russian Black Sea Fleet Admiral Viktoro Sokolov and officers, were killed in last week’s attack on the Crimean Peninsula.
According to the Guardian and CNN on the 25th (local time), the Ukrainian military said that it struck the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet with a missile in time for a meeting of Russian naval officers in Sevastopol on the 22nd.
The Ukrainian military said via Telegram that 34 people, including Admiral Sokolov, were killed and 105 were wounded.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet responded to Ukraine’s claims. Russia said only one soldier was missing.
Ukrainian intelligence chief Kirillo Budanow told Voice of America (VOA) over the weekend that at least nine people were killed and 16 wounded, but did not mention Admiral Sokolov.
Admiral Sokolov, a former deputy commander of the North Sea Fleet, was appointed as the new commander of the Black Sea Fleet in August last year, when the Krum Peninsula was attacked one after another.
Ukrainian media released a video over the weekend showing a British-backed Storm Shadow missile hitting the roof of the Sevastopol Naval Headquarters.
Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Plettenchuk said Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was carrying out retaliatory strikes against Ukraine, but said they were only “based on inertia.”
He said the Black Sea Fleet’s commanders and adjutants were disappearing and were becoming inoperable, firing missiles out of inertia like “headless chickens running around.”
Last night, the Russian military attacked Odessa port facilities in southern Ukraine with two supersonic missiles, 12 Kalibr cruise missiles and 19 Shahed drones, causing significant damage. Russia has continued to target Ukrainian grain warehouses after the collapse of Black Sea grain negotiations.
Meanwhile, 31 Abrams tanks supported by the United States arrived in Ukraine.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.