Missile attack in Crimean port: Ukraine: Russian warship “Askold” probably beyond repair

Rocket attack on Crimea port
Ukraine: Russian warship “Askold” probably beyond repair

November 7, 2023, 2:08 am

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Over the weekend, Ukrainian rockets hit shipyards in the city of Kerch. According to Kiev, one of the most modern ships of the Russian Navy was severely damaged in the attack. It is said that Russia may no longer be able to repair the Corvette.

According to Ukrainian sources, the Russian frigate “Askold” was damaged so badly as a result of a missile attack over the weekend that it could no longer be repaired. The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security announced this on social networks. The government agency released a photo showing the damage to the ship.

The Ukrainian military said Saturday it had successfully fired a rocket at the Saliv shipyard in the city of Kerch on the occupied Crimean peninsula. A day later, Air Force Chief Mykola Oleshchuk announced that the Russian corvette “Askold” had been hit. He also released a video showing the attack on port facilities. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that one vessel was damaged but did not name it.

The Russian Navy has been “scalped,” Oleshchuk wrote, referring to the French-supplied French-supplied Scallop-type cruise missiles. Ukraine has received almost identical Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles from Great Britain and France. Askold is one of the modern warships of the Russian Navy. The Karakurd-class missile carrier will be launched in 2021 and will be armed with Kalibr cruise missiles.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet stationed in Crimea has recently had to deal with several setbacks. In mid-September, the submarine “Rostov-on-Don” and the landing ship “Minsk” were badly damaged in an attack on the port of Sevastopol. A few days later, rockets hit the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet. In early August, Ukraine announced that the landing ship “Olenegorski Gornjak” had been damaged by a marine drone.

Ukraine has repeatedly bombed targets in Crimea, including the Crimean bridge that runs from Kerch to the Russian heartland. Apart from Western weapons, Kiev’s armed forces also use self-made drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly announced his desire to liberate Crimea from the Russian occupiers.