Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out “the largest attack since the start of the special military operation” on the Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol, Crimea; Moscow has suspended the wheat agreement; and Ukraine accuses Putin of “blackmail”
At dawn on Saturday 29 October, they were there several explosions in Sevastopolwhere the Russian base of the Black Sea Fleet. Sevastopol is located in the Crimea, the peninsula that Russia has occupied and illegally annexed since 2014.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, there would be behind the explosions an attack by the Ukrainian armywhich attacked Russian ships with 9 aerial drones and 7 naval drones – small unmanned craft.
According to Moscow, “the preparation of this terrorist attack and the training of the military of the Ukrainian Special Center for Naval Operations were carried out under the guidance of British specialists, located in the city of Ochakiv”.
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Moscow has reported that all aerial drones have been shot down, and one ship – the minesweeper Ivan Golubets – has reported “minor damage”.
Following this attack, Moscow announced the suspension of the grain export agreement: Kiev would have hit some of the ships that guarantee the safety of naval convoys, and for this reason Russia believes it can no longer guarantee the safety of transport.
The agreement, dated 22 July, has so far allowed the export of 9 million tons of cereals and has allowed to lower the world prices of cereals. It will formally expire in mid-November, and until this morning the United Nations were “relatively optimistic” about the possibility of its extension.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff reacted by accusing Russia of blackmailing his country and the world, and of having “invented terrorist attacks” on their facilities.
In fact, Kiev has not officially recognized the authorship of the attacks. According to Anton Gerashenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, the “explosions” recorded in the Sevastopol bay are due to Russian “negligence”, and have caused damage to four ships of the Moscow fleetincluding the frigate «Admiral Makarov»which took the place of the Moskva (sunk by Ukraine) as the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet.
Rob Lee, a fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, posted on Twitter two videos “from Ukrainian sources” showing them “A naval drone pointing towards the frigate Admiral Makarov” which, “according to Russian sources, would have been damaged.”
Ukraine released a video from today?s attack on Sevastopol. It shows a naval drone targeting the Black Sea Fleet?s Admiral Makarov Project 11356 frigate, which Russian sources said was damaged (it replaced the Moskva as the Black Sea Fleet?s flagship). https://t.co/zdAeWUvDrb pic.twitter.com/TNnIu4OIap
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 29, 2022
HI Sutton, an expert on boats and submarines, then posted a graph in which he explains that “it is now beyond any reasonable doubt” that “the type of naval drones used by Ukraine to attack the Russian navy in Sevastopol” is the same “as the one already found near the base in Sevastopol” a few weeks ago.
Ukraine released a video from today?s attack on Sevastopol. It shows a naval drone targeting the Black Sea Fleet?s Admiral Makarov Project 11356 frigate, which Russian sources said was damaged (it replaced the Moskva as the Black Sea Fleet?s flagship). https://t.co/zdAeWUvDrb pic.twitter.com/TNnIu4OIap
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 29, 2022
Il naval drone – about the size of a kayak – it would be powered by a single engine, but very powerful and capable of guaranteeing one great speed. The drone, explains HI Sutton, could be destined to blow up in the vicinity of an enemy ship.
Moscow accused Britain of orchestrating too “The terrorist act” of sabotage to the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelinesand – according to the statements of the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova – has decided to put these two questions to the United Nations Security Council.
London responded by denying any allegations: «To belittle their disastrous handling of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry is resorting to false claims of epic significance. This made-up story tells more about the ongoing discussions within the Russian government than about the West, ”the UK Defense Ministry tweeted.
Article being updated …
October 29, 2022 (change October 29, 2022 | 17:16)
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