Black Sea Naval Base: Ukrainian sea drone hits Russian warship

Discover the strategic importance of the Black Sea Naval Base and its role in regional security. Explore its history and current operations.

A Russian warship was critically broken in an in a single day Ukrainian naval drone assault on Russia’s Black Sea navy base at Novorossiysk, two sources mentioned yesterday, after Russia mentioned it had fended off the assault.

The civilian port, which handles 2 p.c of the world’s oil provide and likewise exports grain, briefly halted all ship motion earlier than resuming regular operations, in response to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium which operates an oil terminal there.

Russia’s Defence Ministry mentioned in a brief assertion that the Ukrainian assault by two sea drones had been repelled within the waters outdoors the bottom and that the drones had been destroyed. It made no point out of any injury.

A Ukrainian intelligence supply mentioned the Olenegorsky Gornyak, a Russian Navy touchdown ship, had suffered a severe breach and couldn’t conduct fight missions following a joint operation by the Ukrainian Navy and SBU intelligence service.

There was a crew of round 100 Russian servicemen on the vessel when it was attacked by a sea drone carrying 450 kilograms of TNT, the supply mentioned, with out giving any data on any casualties.

Individually, a supply with data of the port’s operations mentioned a big Russian naval vessel needed to be towed ashore as a result of it couldn’t transfer below its personal energy after being broken.

The supply, who didn’t identify the vessel, mentioned oil and grain loadings have been nonetheless going down on the port, which resumed regular operations hours after the assault.

Reuters was not capable of instantly and independently confirm the assertions about injury to the Olenegorsky Gornyak warship.

Unverified video footage revealed on social media purported to indicate injury to the vessel. In a single video, it was seen itemizing closely to its port aspect.

Andrei Kravchenko, a Novorossiysk metropolis official, mentioned on the Telegram app that the Olenegorsky Gornyak was one in every of two ships that had “immediately reacted” to fend off the Ukrainian assault.

Russian social media customers had reported listening to explosions and gunfire close to Novorossiysk yesterday morning.

In the meantime, the Russian Defence Ministry mentioned yesterday that its forces had additionally repelled an tried Ukrainian assault on Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014, utilizing a minimum of 13 aeroplane-like drones. It mentioned there have been no casualties or injury.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium which masses oil onto tankers in Novorossiysk mentioned its services had not been broken and that oil loadings continued onto tankers which have been already moored.

The port is likely one of the largest within the Black Sea, and a significant terminal for the export of oil and oil merchandise. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium is the primary exporter of Kazakh crude oil.

Exports of Russian and Kazakh oil from Novorossiysk common round 1.8 million barrels per day, or about 2 p.c of world oil provide.

Britain’s navy intelligence service mentioned final September that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet had relocated some submarines from the Crimean port of Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, in all probability due to the elevated risk of Ukrainian long-range strikes.

Tensions in and close to the Black Sea Naval Base have escalated since Russia final month withdrew from a deal permitting the protected export of grain from Ukrainian ports. Russian drones and missiles have since repeatedly struck Ukrainian port services and grain silos on or close to the Black Sea.

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