Ukrainian Navy suggests possible striking of another Russian ship in Crimea
Photo: The Russian ship Ivan Khurs may have been damaged during a strike in Crimea on March 23 (wikipedia.org)
Another Russian ship, the Ivan Khurs, may have been damaged during the March 23 strike on Crimea. It may be the third on the list after the damaged Yamal and Azov, according to Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk.
"This information (about the damage to the Russian ships - ed.) will take some time to be fully verified. We also present it carefully. This morning I confirmed that both ships (Yamal and Azov - ed.) were damaged. Now the question of the damage to the Ivan Khurs is also being considered. This information is also being verified," he says.
According to him, there is a suspicion that this ship was also damaged.
"As of now, we can confirm that both large landing ships have been damaged, their nature is being established, and one of them immediately went for repairs," the speaker added.
Commenting on the importance of the defeat of the Russian ships, Pletenchuk notes that out of 13 Russian ships at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, three remained in service.
Ivan Khurs ship
The Ivan Khurs project 18280 (communications vessel) is a Russian medium-sized reconnaissance ship for the near, far sea, and oceanic zones. It is the first production ship and one of two ships of Project 18280. The ship's mission is to provide communications and fleet management and conduct radio reconnaissance and electronic warfare. The ship is named in honor of Vice Admiral Ivan Khurs, Chief of the Intelligence Directorate of the USSR Navy General Staff in 1979-1987.
Strikes on Yamal and Azov
On March 23, explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Crimea, particularly in Sevastopol. OSINT analysts noted that a major communication hub of the Russian Black Sea Fleet could have been hit in Sevastopol.
On March 24, Russian Telegram channels reported that a "well-camouflaged command post with more than two dozen officers in it was hit in Sevastopol."
Later that day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had struck at the Russian occupiers' facilities in Sevastopol. Two Russian landing ships, Yamal and Azov, and a communications center were destroyed.
On March 25, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine said that the damage to the Russian Battleship Yamal was critical. In turn, Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for the South Command, said that Russian logistics and troop management were significantly affected by the attack on the Yamal and Azov.
