Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have assessed the consequences for the occupiers of the destruction of the Russian missile boat "Ivanovets" by Ukrainian intelligence on the night of February 1, UNN reports.
Details
A new ISW report notes that Ukrainian strikes on Black Sea Fleet ships and infrastructure have limited its ability to operate in the western Black Sea.
A Russian military blogger with ties to the Kremlin claims that on the night of January 31-February 1, the Ukrainian Defense Forces launched 12 SCALP or Storm Shadow missiles, provided by the West, into occupied Crimea. "Voyenkor notes that Russian forces allegedly shot down five missiles in the area of the Belbek air base in occupied Sevastopol and six missiles over Yany Kapu, Hvardiysk, and northwest of Sevastopol, and that one missile hit the ground in the area of the Belbek air base but did not damage it. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian officials have confirmed the claims, ISW said.
As noted, Ukrainian Armed Forces spokesman Yuriy Ignat said that "several objects" were damaged in the January 31 strikes on the Belbek airbase, but noted that Ukrainian authorities need more satellite images to confirm which objects were hit by Ukrainian troops.
Recall
On the night of February 1, the Ukrainian military successfully attacked a Russian Black Sea Fleet ship in the Black Sea near occupied Crimea and sank it. On February 1, the GUR published footage showing Ukrainian naval drones striking an Ivanivets-class corvette (41st Missile Boat Brigade) near Lake Donuzlav in occupied Crimea.
The Ukrainian Navy reportedthat the sinking of the Ivanivets is a significant loss for the black Sea Fleet, as the Russian Navy has only three such ships. They also stated that the "Ivanivets" usually carries 40 personnel, and the GUR emphasized that Russian search and rescue operations were unsuccessful.