Ukrainian Missile Attack Kills and Injures Russian Troops in Black Sea Fleet Headquarters
On Friday, Ukraine’s armed forces launched a missile attack on the Russian navy’s Black Sea fleet headquarters, resulting in the deaths and injuries of “dozens” of Russian troops, including several high-ranking officials. Although the claim could not be independently verified, another rocket attack targeted the Crimean city of Sevastopol, where the fleet is based, on Saturday.
According to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russia-installed governor of Sevastopol, debris from intercepted missiles fell near a pier during the latest assault. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces announced on Telegram that more information about the missile attack would be shared at a later time.
Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s intelligence chief, informed U.S. broadcaster Voice of America that at least nine individuals were killed and 16 others were injured in Friday’s attack. He added that Russian Colonel-General Alexander Romanchuk was in “very serious condition,” while Lieutenant General Oleg Tsekov, the chief of staff, was unconscious. However, Budanov did not confirm reports of the death of Black Sea Admiral Viktor Sokolov in the attack.
It should be noted that Crimea, a region extending into the Black Sea, was illegally occupied by Russia in 2014. The Sevastopol governor confirmed that the fleet’s headquarters were indeed targeted in the attack, according to a message on Telegram.
Initially, Russia’s defense ministry announced that one servicemember had been killed in Friday’s assault. However, they later updated the individual’s status to missing, as reported by the Associated Press.