Zelenskyy said the ship is a “symbol of occupation” and shouldn’t be in the Ukrainian Crimea.
Ukrainian sea drones reportedly inflicted damage on a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship near occupied Crimea, as revealed by a Ukrainian intelligence source on Tuesday.
The source disclosed, “Hits and significant damage,” without providing further details.
Ukrainska Pravda, a prominent Ukrainian media outlet, has stated that the Russian Project 22160 patrol ship Sergei Kotov suffered damage from an uncrewed waterborne craft during an overnight incident.
Reacting to the attack, Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasized on Telegram that “The Russian Black Sea Fleet is a symbol of occupation. It cannot be in the Ukrainian Crimea.”
As a result of the reported incident, train traffic on the bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland was temporarily halted, according to the Telegram channel of a Russia-installed official in Crimea. Similarly, highway traffic was suspended for several hours, resuming just before 0700 GMT, as per the Telegram channel of the Russian-installed administration overseeing the bridge.
This development follows a previous announcement by the Ukrainian military last month, claiming the destruction of a Russian landing warship near Crimea. The operation involved naval drones breaching the vessel’s port side, causing it to sink.
