Putin lost control: Strikes on the Black Sea Fleet prove it, Britain says
the Chief of the Defense Staff of the UK Armed Forces, Tony Radakin (Getty Images)
Recent strikes by Ukraine against the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea demonstrate that Ukraine maintains the initiative in the war. At the same time, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has lost control over it, the press service of the British government.
The UK Minister of Defense, Grant Shapps, and the Chief of the Defense Staff of the UK Armed Forces, Tony Radakin, visited Kyiv. During the visit, new commitments for military aid to Ukraine were discussed.
"The recent strikes on the Black Sea Fleet are another example of how Ukraine retains the initiative. Putin has lost control of the war he started, and Russia is diminished as a consequence. This visit, together with my visits over the summer, have reinforced my conviction that Ukraine will prevail. The UK will remain with them every step of the way," said Radakin.
Additionally, Shapps stated that the UK will continue to support and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine. He noted that the UK has trained thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, delivered hundreds of thousands of ammunition, and provided millions of pounds in economic and humanitarian aid to help Ukrainians recover and rebuild what was taken from them by the brutal Russian invasion.
Meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskнy and Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov also provided an opportunity to discuss current humanitarian support and Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO and achieve broader Euro-Atlantic integration.
Attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet HQ in Sevastopol
On September 22, a missile strike was carried out against the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters. The Strategic Communications Directorate of the Ukrainian General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian military forces were behind the attack, reportedly using Storm Shadow missiles. The Special Operations Forces reported the elimination of Vice Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the Russian Black Sea Fleet commander, as a result of the strike. However, later videos surfaced, purportedly showing the commander alive, prompting Ukraine to verify the information.
