Russian Supersonic Missile-Armed Corvette Destroyed in Crimea Strikes—Video

Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian supersonic missile-armed corvette in strikes on annexed Crimea on Wednesday, officials said, dealing another blow to President Vladimir Putin's Black Sea Fleet.

The announcement was made by Ukraine's Defense Ministry, which said that during an attack on the Belbek airfield near Russia's main naval base at Sevastopol, its forces had also destroyed Russia's Ivanovets missile boat.

"Ship wreck of the day!" the ministry said in a post on its social media pages. "Warriors of the special unit 'Group 13' of the [Defense Intelligence of Ukraine] destroyed the missile corvette 'Ivanovets' of the russian Black Sea Fleet."

"As a result of a number of direct hits to the hull, the corvette was damaged, rolled to the stern, and sank. The value of the ship is approximately $60–70 million," the ministry added. "Nice job, warriors!"

It published a video that purportedly shows the moment of the strike.

Newsweek couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video or Ukraine's claims about the boat's destruction, and has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment by email. The Kremlin hasn't commented on the reports.

Earlier, Ukraine's Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk thanked Ukraine's military for carrying out the operation.

"Ukrainian aviators will definitely return to their home airfield," he said in a video posted on social media.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had prevented an attack on the Black Sea peninsula, and downed 20 Ukrainian missiles over Crimea and the Black Sea. It said the debris of Ukrainian missiles had fallen on the territory of a military unit near the Belbek air base, but said it didn't damage aviation equipment.

News of the destroyed Ivanovets corvette marks the latest blow for Putin, whose Black Sea Fleet has been targeted by Ukraine in the war as it seeks to reverse his 2014 annexation of Crimea. The region is Russia's central logistics hub for its forces in southern Ukraine.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has suffered extensive casualties throughout the war. Its flagship, Moskva, was attacked in April 2022. In September 2023, Ukraine launched a missile attack on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, reportedly killing a number of leading officers and taking out a Russian submarine.

Experts close to Ukraine's Defense Ministry previously told Newsweek that Kyiv is embarking on a strategy to "demilitarize" the Black Sea Fleet as part of steps toward eventually liberating the peninsula.

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Update 2/1/24, 7:47 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information.