Russian warship is damaged in Ukraine drone assault as massive explosions rock key Crimean port

At least one Russian warship was damaged during a ‘massive’ Ukrainian drone assault as huge explosions rocked a key Crimean port.

Russian Black Sea warships were forced to fight the attack off in Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea which was annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, Russian governor of Sevastopol, said the attack in the early hours of the morning caused no damage to city infrastructure but later the Russian Ministry of Defence later conceded that at least one vessel sustained minor damage.

The Ministry branded it a ‘terrorist attack’ in which they claim they destroyed nine aerial drones and seven maritime drones. 

Moscow’s forces alleged British ‘specialists’, whom they said were based in the southern Ukrainian city of Ochakiv, had helped prepare and train Kyiv to carry out the strike.

In a further singling out of the UK – which Moscow sees as one of the most unfriendly Western countries – Moscow said the same British unit was involved in explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines last month.

In a threatening telegram, the Ministry also added: ‘It should be emphasised that the ships of the Black Sea Fleet that were subjected to the terrorist attack are involved in ensuring the security of the ‘grain corridor’ as part of an international initiative to export agricultural products from Ukrainian ports.’

Britain strongly rebutted claims they were involved, saying ‘the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling false claims of an epic scale.’

The British defence ministry said that this ‘invented story says more about arguments going on inside the Russian Government than it does about the West’.

Earlier today Razvozhayev said: ‘Black Sea Fleet ships are fighting off a drone attack in Sevastopol Bay.’ he said.

At least one Russian warship was damaged during a ‘massive’ Ukrainian drone assault as huge explosions rocked a key Crimean port, the Moscow Ministry of Defence revealed

Dramatic footage showed a Moscow attack helicopter destroying an ‘underwater drone’ in Omega Bay

‘No damage has been reported in the city. The situation is under control. All response services are at the ready.’

A student dormitory at an art college near the port saw ‘one windowpane burst’ but ‘no harm was done’, he added. 

Although Ukraine has not confirmed these attacks, Kyiv sources claim that several of the Russian ships from the fleet were blown up. This reportedly includes frigate Admiral Makarov. 

Residents claimed that the huge explosions ‘shook’ their homes and windows while black smoke was seen rising from the docks area.

Dramatic footage purportedly showed a Moscow attack helicopter destroying an ‘underwater drone’ in Omega Bay.

The video showed the helicopter hovering above the object in the water before it bursts into flames with smoke billowing out of it. 

The underwater object thought to be a drone was said to be tailing a warship before it was reportedly destroyed by the Russian helicopter.

Missiles were fired from the helicopter which also unleashed volleys of machine gun fire.

Russian sources claimed its air defenced deployed from naval warships were forced to repel a sustained Ukrainian attack that started at 4.30am and lasted for at least five hours.

At least one Russian vessel was damaged in the attacks. Unconfirmed reports earlier suggested that frigate Admiral Makarov had been blown up (pictured)

According to Ukrainian sources, several of the Russian ships from the fleet were blown up

Local media are reporting that rescuers this morning are still attempting to put out a fire on one of the ships 

Plumes of smoke were visible after reports of Ukrainian drone strikes in the middle of the night

Massive explosions have been seen hitting a key naval port in annexed Crimea that Russia claim was targeted in a major Ukrainian drone assault

Mikhail Razvozhayev, Russian governor of Sevastopol, said: ‘No damage has been reported in the city.

Read Related Also: Aussies stranded at Machu Picchu amid violent civil unrest

The Kremlin has also blamed a US Global Hawk (RQ-4B) which ‘flew from Italy’ for flying over the Black Sea and monitoring Russian responses to the concerted Ukrainian onslaught.

All passenger ferry services were suspended in the strategic port which is the HQ of Putin’s Black Sea Fleet.

It marks what could be the most audacious attack so far by Ukraine on Russian naval assets in Sevastopol.

Earlier this week, Razvozhayev said that a drone had attacked a thermal power station near Sevastopol.

Meanwhile, the Russian fleet stationed in the port had also been attacked by a drone in July.

So far, attempts to verify Razvozhayev’s claims that no damage has been done have been unsuccessful. 

The Russian statesman begged locals not to post footage of the attacks, claiming that it could aid the Kyiv regime.

‘A big request is not to write what-where-how much you saw and heard,’ he posted.

‘And do not upload videos. It should be clear to everyone that such data is very necessary for the UkroNazis in order to understand how the defence of our city is arranged.’

However, this did not fail to prevent residents reporting the explosions that unfolded in the middle of the nights.

One resident reported: ‘Woke up at 4 a.m. to a massive explosion. Thank goodness it’s [our] air defences.

Earlier this week, Razvozhayev (pictured) said that a drone had attacked a thermal power station near Sevastopol

Russia also blamed a US Global Hawk (RQ-4B) which ‘flew from Italy’ for flying over the Black Sea and monitoring Russian responses to the concerted Ukrainian onslaught

‘Our ships in Sevastopol Bay were repelling a drone attack.

‘It was a fun night, even very fun.’

Another stated: ‘Woke up to an explosion at 5:30am. Followed some time later by three more…’.

A third added: ‘Ten minutes ago three explosions sounded, and shook the house…’

Meanwhile, another comment said: ‘Woke up this morning to explosions.

‘Never heard anything like that before. It thundered so hard that the windows shook in the flat.’

The attack comes as Russia appears to have largely given up attacking Ukraine and has been forced on to the defensive after Putin’s military got mauled by Kyiv’s armies.

Russian troops have been forced on to the defensive across almost the entire frontline in Ukraine after Putin’s army was mauled, British intelligence said yesterday

Severely undermanned and poorly trained Russian units have stopped advancing across most of the front line in the last six weeks, British intelligence said yesterday.

Ukrainian forces advance in both the north and south of the country – pushing east from Kharkiv into Luhansk and advancing towards Kherson.

In Kherson, companies of soldiers which should consist of 100 men were fighting with just six to eight troops each, Ministry of Defence analysts added.

While Putin is attempting to bolster these units with conscripted troops, Russia is unlikely to be able to resume its offensive in the near future.

Earlier this week, it had appeared that Russia was preparing to withdraw from Kherson city but Ukraine now believes Putin is actually reinforcing it.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, said earlier this week that Russia has been evacuating civilians but is moving military reinforcements into urban areas, preparing defences, and plans to fight for the city.

He added that the evacuation and talk of a retreat by Russia’s top commander may have been an effort to lure Ukraine into a costly urban battle.