Photos that began to circulate on social media today show the massive damage sustained by a Russian Navy Karakurt-Class corvette after a reported Ukrainian cruise missile strike on 4 November.
This attack was the second successful cruise missile strike on Russian ships in the Russian-occupied Crimea.
According to reports from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a Russian naval vessel at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch was the target of a Ukrainian airstrike. At the time of the attack, it was not definitively known whether the Russian vessel had been destroyed.
Following the explosions, Russian occupants initially claimed that “some debris from downed missiles fell into one of the dry docks.” However, it was only late in the evening on November 4 that the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the Russian Black Sea Fleet ship stationed at the Zaliv Shipyard in Kerch had sustained damage.
+1 destroyed russian ship.@StratCom_AFU confirmed that an Askold russian ship was destroyed during Saturday’s cruise missile attack on the shipbuilding plant in Kerch. pic.twitter.com/TRhuXkouYx
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) November 6, 2023
In the morning of November 5, the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk officially confirmed that Ukrainian military forces had destroyed one of the most modern Russian naval vessels – the missile corvette “Askold,” a vessel known for its capacity to carry Kalibr cruise missiles.
Askold before and after.
If someone doubts the need to supply Ukraine with weapons. pic.twitter.com/Jkw8AOIJOC— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) November 6, 2023
The Zaliv Shipyard is a crucial facility for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, and the loss of such a formidable vessel is a notable setback for Russia’s naval power in the Black Sea region
The destruction of the “Askold” is not only a blow to Russian naval capabilities but also a demonstration of Ukraine’s determination to protect its sovereignty and resist foreign occupation.