This is the moment Ukraine reportedly blew up yet another Russian naval vessel in a kamikaze sea drone strike off annexed Crimea.
The shadowy figure of a tugboat crew member was seen in black and white video before the drone sped towards the vessel and the video lost connection. Ukraine’s GUR Military Intelligence Directorate reports a Russian tugboat was destroyed by a kamikaze sea drone off the coast of annexed Crimea.
Kyiv has been targeting Vladimir Putin’s Black Sea Fleet ever since the tyrant launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine is looking to reverse Putin’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, which currently serves as Moscow’s central logistics hub for Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
Video of Kyiv’s night-time drone blitz, shared by Ukrainian intelligence today, purportedly showed the moment Kyiv’s forces destroyed a Russian tugboat.
Moments before the blitz, at which point the video lost connection, a crew member appeared to walk along the deck of the boat. Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) spokesperson Andriy Yusov said during a national broadcast: “Maritime strike.
“All hits on target. Minus one more enemy ship.”
The GUR said one of its units successfully attacked and destroyed a Russian “Saturn” tugboat. A Saturn is an all-purpose Russian sea tug vital for logistical support.
The drone was understood to have evaded sea barriers to sail into a salt lake on the northwestern coast and mount its attack. Almost half of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet have been hit by Ukrainian drone or missile strikes during the two-year-old war.
The GUR said: “A special unit of the 9th Department of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, off the coast of temporarily occupied Crimea, launched a successful strike on the Russian raid tug.
“As a result of the operation in the waters of Lake Panskoe, another vessel of the Russian invaders was destroyed.
“The devastating fire defeat was inflicted after the successful breakthrough of the line of defensive barriers of the occupiers in the Black Sea waters.”
It comes after incredible footage emerged last week of Ukraine’s sea drones nipping out of the way of Russian fire during a blitz in Crimea. The drones flew over water in Uzkaya Bay, western Crimea as Kyiv’s forces dodged a Russian barrage of explosions.
Despite the onslaught, the Magura V5 marine drones managed to hit two Russian high-speed KS-701 Tunets (Tuna) vessels. Russian forces use tuna boats for patrolling, as well as transport and landing.
Tactical hits by Kyiv in the annexed peninsula have long been a point of humiliation for Putin.
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