NNA - A Russian warship in the Black Sea, the Sergei Kotov, was sunk by Ukrainian special forces, Ukraine’s defence intelligence directorate announced on Tuesday morning. 

“On the night of March 4-5, 2024, the special unit of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine ‘Group 13’ attacked the patrol ship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation ‘Sergei Kotov’ … As a result of the attack by Magura V5 naval drones, the Russian ship of project 22160 ‘Sergei Kotov’ suffered damage to the stern, right and left sides. The ‘Kotova’ was damaged by fire in the territorial waters of Ukraine, near the Kerch Strait. The cost of the sunken ship is about 65 million dollars.”

The claim from Ukraine came after the Kerch bridge from Russia to illegally occupied Crimea was reportedly closed to traffic overnight and explosions were reported in the area. 

Social media channels suggested Ukrainian aerial and/or naval drone attacks had taken place. The announcement by Ukrainian intelligence appeared to confirm events.

Russia launched 22 attack drones against Ukraine, with air defence systems destroying 18 of them over the Odesa region, Ukraine’s air force said on Tuesday morning.

Ukraine’s military said it contained a Russian advance outside Avdiivka, the city captured last month, but Russian troops were regrouping further south around Novomykhailivka. Ukraine’s emergency services reported that two firefighters were killed near the eastern Ukrainian town of Kramatorsk – north of Avdiivka – when they came under Russian shelling at the scene of a fire.—agencies 

==========R.H.