Ukraine has reported employing underwater drones to launch an attack on and obliterate a Russian warship in the Black Sea close to the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula.
The Ukrainian military intelligence agency, known as GUR, released a video on Thursday purportedly showing a naval drone strike on the missile-armed corvette Ivanovets the previous night.
The grainy footage, lasting approximately 2.5 minutes and accompanied by a dramatic soundtrack, displayed multiple explosions, ultimately resulting in the ship listing to one side before sinking stern-first into the sea.
According to the intelligence agency, “As a result of a number of direct hits to the hull, the Russian ship suffered damage incompatible with further movement,” implying that the footage was comprised of live feeds from the drones.
The GUR asserted that the attack was carried out by its Group 13 unit while the Ivanovets was on patrol on Lake Donuzlav in western Crimea. Notably, the lake was connected to the Black Sea by a channel in 1961.
Russia, whose Black Sea Fleet has previously been targeted by Ukraine, has not issued an official response. This is not the first instance in which Ukraine has declared an attack on a Russian ship, as evidenced by the sinking of the flagship Moskva in April 2022.
Disinformation has become integral to the war, making independent verification of the footage or claims challenging. However, it was reported that Ukraine deployed up to six sea drones, each usually carrying 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of explosives, in the attack.
A Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity, backed the Ukrainian account, stating that it was “highly likely that uncrewed surface vessels were responsible for the strike on the Ivanovets.”
The loss of the Ivanovets, believed to have a crew of about 40 sailors, is deemed “significant” since Russia has only three ships of the same class in its Black Sea Fleet.
Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, has experienced escalating attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles. In response, Russia announced the destruction of 20 Ukrainian missiles over the area on Thursday.
