Ukrainian forces say they have destroyed the Russian missile boat from the Black Sea Fleet in a targeted operation near Russian-occupied Crimea. The military intelligence says that the Ivanovets, a small warship, received "direct hits to the hull" overnight, after which it sank.
Ukrainian forces have also released video footage that purports to show the moment of the impact, followed by a massive explosion.
Russian authorities have not commented on the incident, BBC reported. Meanwhile, a Russian military blogger, "Voenkor Kotenok," wrote on Telegram that the boat sank after being struck three times by naval drones.
The Ukrainian video displays several identifiable features on the vessel that align with those of the Tarantul, also known as Project 12411-a missile boat class utilized by the Russian and other navies, to which the Ivanovets belong.
These features encompass the arrangement of the mast and sensors atop the primary superstructure, along with a sizable radar dome situated on the bridge.
According to Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, the boat was eliminated by members of its special unit, "Group 13," in Lake Donuzlav. This saltwater bay is located on the western side of the Crimean peninsula and houses a naval base.
"As a result of a series of direct hits to the hull, the Russian ship suffered damage incompatible with further movement - the Ivanovets listed to the stern and sank," it said on its Telegram channel.
BBC report said that a Russian search and rescue operation in the are was unsuccessful. It said that the ship was worth in the region of $60-70 million.
Foreign Ministry official Olexander Scherba described the attack as "impressive".
"At 03:45 [01:45 GMT] there was the first hit and at 04:00 the whole crew was evacuated already. So there was no chance at all that this vessel would be saved," he told the BBC.
Ukraine has experienced a string of victories in the conflict in and around the Black Sea, inflicting damage or destruction on Russian warships despite lacking a naval fleet of its own.
