An overnight assault by Ukrainian sea drones sank a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship off the coast of occupied Crimea, the Ukrainian military reported on Tuesday.
The Sergey Kotov sustained damage to its stern, starboard, and port sides after Magura V5 maritime drones targeted the vessel near the Kerch Strait, according to Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency.
“Right now this ship is on the seabed as a result of fire damage by unmanned boats,” Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk stated on television. A helicopter was on board, according to GUR spokesperson Andriy Yusov.
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment immediately.
Some Russian military bloggers said the ship sank after an attempt to tow it to port.
In recent months, Ukraine has intensified attacks on the Black Sea and Crimea. In mid-February, Kyiv reported several strikes, including naval drones sinking a large landing ship.
Russia seized and annexed Crimea in 2014.