A still from a video shared by Defense Intelligence of Ukraine on February 1, 2024, purporting to show the Ivanovets ahead of its claimed destruction.
Defense Intelligence of Ukraine/YouTube
Ukraine has shared extraordinary footage of what it says is the sinking of a Russian ship. The claimed drone attack on Wednesday night sank the Ivanovets, Ukraine said.Russia has not commented on the incident, which Business Insider wasn’t able to independently verify.
Ukrainian forces claim to have sunk a Russian Black Sea Fleet warship in Crimea using home-developed naval drones, sharing spectacular footage that appears to show the attack.
Overnight on January 31, special unit “Group 13” attacked the hull of the Ivanovets, a Russian corvette stationed at Lake Donuzlav in north-west Crimea, Defense Intelligence of Ukraine said in a Telegram post on Thursday.
Business Insider was not able to independently verify the claim.
As of Thursday afternoon local time, Russia’s Ministry of Defense has not acknowledged the claimed incident and did not immediately respond to BI’s request for comment.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence didn’t give details on the exact munitions used in the reported attack, but the footage shared suggests that at least four naval drones were deployed.
The extraordinary footage appears to show the drones’ view as they approach the vessel, with one hitting the stern and another leaving what appears to be a large, mangled hole on the port side. That hit is then followed up by another strike.
Footage taken from a distance shows a large explosion on the water.
Later in the footage, the vessel appears to be listing badly, before being completely upended, its bow in the air.
The ship is estimated by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence to be worth in the region of $60-70 million. It did not provide details of the type of drones used.
Ukraine has developed at least two naval attack drones, including the Cossack Mamai — capable of firing missiles — as well as the fast-moving Sea Baby.
A Russian search-and-rescue operation was unsuccessful, the Ukrainian officials said.
According to KCFH.ru, a site that closely follows the activities of the Black Sea Fleet, the Ivanovets is a Tarantul-class corvette equipped with supersonic anti-ship missiles as well as antiaircraft missiles.
Although it has previously rebuffed similar Ukrainian claims on its Telegram channel, KCFH.ru has as yet made no remark on Thursday other than sharing two archival images of the Ivanovets.
If confirmed, the loss of the ship would be a considerable boost for Ukraine, whose performance against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been one of its most celebrated successes of the war.