2023-08-01 07:15:27
Russian military repelled Ukrainian naval drone attack, Russian Defense Ministry says
The Russian military said on Tuesday it repelled an overnight attack by three Ukrainian naval drones on its patrol boats in the Black Sea, at the heart of heightened tensions between Kiev and Moscow since Russia’s withdrawal from the grain deal in mid- July. The boats Sergueï Kotov et Vasily Bykov were targeted according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“The three enemy naval drones have been destroyed” by open fire from Russian ships, assured the ministry, specifying that the patrol boats were attacked 340 kilometers southwest of Sevastopol, home port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in annexed Crimea. THE Sergueï Kotov and the Vasily Bykov continue to operate normally, the Ministry of Defense added.
Naval drones are boats that operate on the surface of the water, without a crew, controlled remotely. Moscow regularly accuses the Ukrainian army of using these devices, in addition to aerial drones, to attack targets in the Black Sea. Last week, the Russian army had already claimed to have repelled an attack by two Ukrainian naval drones against the Sergueï Kotov in the Black Sea. On July 17, Ukraine claimed responsibility for an attack with naval drones on the Kerch Bridge, vital infrastructure linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula.
The Black Sea is at the center of heightened tensions following Russia’s exit last week from an international deal over Ukrainian grain exports. Moscow and kyiv have alternately warned ships sailing in the Black Sea, warning they could be targeted if they headed for enemy ports. In parallel, several waves of drone attacks have hit Moscow and annexed Crimea in recent days.
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