Ukraine says it damaged another Russian ship in Black Sea, near Snake Island
- Russian support vessel was struck as it tried to deliver an anti-aircraft system to Snake Island, Ukrainian official says
- Claimed attack on ship came as Russian forces struggled to make headway in Ukraine’s north and east
Ukraine said it had damaged a Russian navy logistics ship near Snake Island, a small but strategic outpost in the Black Sea.
Renewed fighting around Snake Island in recent days may become a battle for control of the western Black Sea coast, according to some defence officials, as Russian forces battled to make headway in Ukraine’s north and east.
“Thanks to the actions of our naval seamen, the support vessel Vsevolod Bobrov caught fire – it is one of the newest in the Russian fleet,” said Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa regional military administration.
Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said the Russian ship was hit as it was trying to deliver an anti-aircraft system to Snake Island. He said the ship was badly damaged but was not believed to have sunk.
There was no confirmation from Russia and no reports of casualties.
Satellite imagery provided by Maxar, a private US-based company, showed the aftermath of what it said were probable missile attacks on a Russian Serna-class landing craft near the island, close to Ukraine’s sea border with Romania.