Ukraine takes credit for missile attack on Crimean port

Ukraine unleashed a barrage of missiles and attack boats on a strategic Russian naval port in the annexed Crimean city of Sevastopol early Wednesday, injuring dozens and marking its largest apparent attack on the Black Sea Fleet since the start of Russia’s unprovoked war.

Kyiv broke its tradition of remaining coy about its counterattacks and acknowledged the blitz on Russian warships and naval infrastructure in a public statement.

“On the morning of Sept. 13 the Ukrainian armed forces conducted successful strikes on naval assets and port infrastructure of the occupiers at the docks of temporarily occupied Sevastopol,” it said on Telegram.

“We confirm a large landing vessel and submarine were hit. We do not comment on the means (used) for the strike,” Ukrainian military intelligence official Andriy Yusov said, without elaborating on damage or casualties.

“It really is the biggest attack on Sevastopol since the beginning of the war,” retired Ukrainian navy captain Andriy Ryzhenko added.

He speculated that Ukraine used modified domestically made Neptune anti-ship missiles, while Sky News reported that Storm Shadow missiles provided by France and the UK were deployed.

Moscow confirmed the attack, saying the Black Sea port was targeted with 10 cruise missiles and three unmanned speed boats, which damaged two military vessels under repair.

Russian-appointed Gov. Mikhail Razvozhayev said that 24 people were injured, as he posted pictures of port infrastructure up in flames.

The Kremlin said it had shot down seven of the projectiles and destroyed the attack boats with a patrol ship.

The attack on the region seized by Russia in 2014 highlighted Ukraine’s mushrooming missile capabilities, as it ramps up blitzes of its own on key targets across the border in response to a cascade of drone strikes at home.

“My child was woken up as well. It was about 3 in the morning. We got very scared. Everything was shaking,” said Sevastopol resident Nadezhda Lunyova.

Alexander Ivanov, who had just returned from the war, had a different take.

“Everything is calm in town now. People are actually even curiously checking what happened. There’s no fear,” he said.

Sevastopol is a strategic port used by Russia to dispatch warships that launch missile attacks on Ukraine while also blocking food exports from the country and imposing its naval might on the Middle East and Mediterranean.

With Post wires