Rocket attack on Crimean port
Ukraine: Russian warship “Askold” probably not repairable
November 7, 2023, 2:08 a.m
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At the weekend, Ukrainian rockets hit the shipyards in the city of Kerch. According to Kiev, one of the most modern ships in the Russian Navy was also seriously damaged in the attack. It is said that Russia may no longer be able to repair the corvette.
According to Ukrainian sources, the Russian warship “Askold” was so badly damaged as a result of a missile attack at the weekend that it may no longer be repairable. The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security announced this on social networks. The government organization published a photo showing the damage to the ship.
The Ukrainian military reported a successful rocket attack on the Saliv shipyard in the city of Kerch on the occupied Crimean peninsula on Saturday. A day later, Air Force Chief Mykola Oleshchuk announced that the Russian corvette “Askold” had also been hit. He also published a video that is supposed to show the attack on the port facilities. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that a ship was damaged but did not release its name.
The Russian Navy had been “scalped,” wrote Oleshchuk, alluding to the Scalp-type cruise missiles supplied by France. Ukraine had received virtually identical Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles from Great Britain and France. The Askold is one of the most modern warships in the Russian Navy. The Karakurt-class missile carrier was launched in 2021 and is armed with Kalibr cruise missiles.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet stationed in Crimea has recently had to cope 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. At the beginning of August, Ukraine reported damage to the landing ship “Olenegorski Gornjak” by a maritime drone.
Ukraine repeatedly shells targets in Crimea, including the Crimean Bridge built from Kerch to the Russian heartland. In addition to Western weapons, Kiev’s armed forces also use self-made drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly announced that he also wants to liberate Crimea from the Russian occupiers.