Ukrainian navy ship hit: Death toll rises, rescue operations ongoing

Pletenchuk confirmed that the strike on the ship resulted in the deaths of two military personnel.

“Unfortunately, we have a second casualty. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. Of course, we will find all our missing crew members. Several service members were also wounded, but most of the crew are safe,” Pletenchuk said.

The Ukrainian Navy Spokesperson noted that he could not confirm reports that the ship had sunk, as life-saving actions are still underway, and therefore, further details cannot yet be provided.

“It’s difficult to predict how long this will take; it’s complex work. Once it’s completed, we will provide information,” Pletenchuk explained.

The Ukrainian Navy Spokesperson also mentioned that Russia has had naval drones even before the full-scale invasion and has been developing methods for their use over the past several years.

“So I cannot say this is something new. There have been no previous successful uses that Russia could speak about,” Pletenchuk added.

Russia’s strike on Ukrainian Navy ship

Yesterday afternoon, Ukrainian Navy Spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk confirmed that one of the Navy’s ships had been hit by Russian forces. As of that day, one sailor had died.

The previous day, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed responsibility for striking the ship, stating that the attack involved a high-speed unmanned boat in the Danube River estuary.

At the beginning of July, the Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, reported that Russian forces attempted to attack the city of Pivdenne in the Odesa region using experimental naval drones. However, those drones exploded while still in Russian territorial waters.