The Ukrainian commander reports the sinking of a Russian ship in Crimea. "I confirm"

Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk confirmed that the Ukrainian military sank one of the most modern ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, carrying Kalibr missiles. Earlier, media linked to the Ukrainian army reported a “successful attack” on the infrastructure of the shipyard in Kerch, in the annexed Crimea.

"I confirm"

General Mykola Oleschuk wrote on the Telegram channel.

"I expect that another vessel followed the Moskva"

he added, referring to the sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva in April last year in the Black Sea.

Oleschuk thanked the Ukrainian pilots for shooting down the Russian Iskander missiles with which the Russians attacked Ukraine on Saturday evening.

Attack during technical tests

The commander of the Ukrainian Air Force did not mention the name of the ship. Earlier, pro-Ukrainian Telegram channels reporting on the situation in Crimea reported that it was the Askold missile corvette, which was undergoing technical tests in Kerch.

The Ukrainian section of Radio Svoboda recalled that before the armed invasion in Kerch, several ships were built for the Russian army, including the Amur, Askold and Cyklon corvettes.

The Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reported on Saturday evening "successful attacks with cruise missiles on the infrastructure of the shipyard in Kerch in annexed Crimea, where one of the most modern ships of the Russian Navy carrying Kalib missiles was stationed.

Reports on the sinking of the corvette Askold, project 22800 Karakurt, built on order of the Russian Ministry of Defense, were also provided by Ukrainian expert Maria Avdeeva.

https://twitter.com/maria_avdv/status/1720858785147764822

Advisor to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Anton Herashchenko, published an entry in which he showed - as he described - a recording from Russian sources.

"There has been information that there have been at least three attacks on the Russian missile ship Askold. We are waiting for official confirmation"

he wrote.

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1720842373901562092

"Air defense systems were operating around the shipyard"

Reuters previously noted that journalists were unable to verify posts published on social media, including videos showing missile attacks and those showing fire and smoke rising over the place mentioned by the Ukrainian side in its statement.

The agency quoted the "head of government" of the annexed Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, who said that air defense systems were operating around the shipyard in Kerch that day.

"On Saturday, Ukraine hit the shipyard in the city of Kerch with 15 cruise missiles, damaging one ship" Russian news agencies reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense.

In a statement, the ministry said that "air defense systems destroyed 13 missiles fired by Ukraine".