TWO Russian assault boats with crew on board have been destroyed by Ukrainian kamikaze drones in annexed Crimea, it has been alleged.
The ships were reportedly carrying loaded armoured vehicles, including personnel carrier BTR-82.
Footage released on Friday showed ‘Ukrainian kamikaze drones’ hit two Russian Navy boats
A sea drone approached the boats before a large explosion engulfed the screen
The Russians are also alleged to have had Tor-M2 air defence systems on board the landing boats, for mobile cover of their group on the island and in the Black Sea.
Ukrainian media outlet TSN news wrote on messaging platform Telegram on Friday morning: “As a result of a night operation on the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, small landing ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation were damaged by soldiers.
“We are talking about boats of project 11770 (of the “Serna” class).”
It alleged the small amphibious boats, actively used by Russia during the occupation of Zmiinyi Island to transfer military equipment and landing craft, were carrying a crew and loaded armoured vehicles.
Dramatic black and white footage showed the moment alleged Ukrainian kamikaze drones hit the Russian navy crafts near Crimea.
A ship can be seen in the aim sight of a sea drone camera before a huge explosion engulfs the screen.
It comes amid unconfirmed reports of a strike on a Russian barracks in Chornomorske, which were not mentioned in the initial statement by Kyiv’s military intelligence agency.
Pro-Russian Telegram channel Rybar said the Neptune missile strike was thwarted.
It also alleged four kamikaze drones attacked the 84ft-long Serna landing boats, which can carry up to 92 troops or 45 tonnes of cargo, in Uzkaya Bay.
Rybar said “the loss of even a few [Serna vessels] will affect the capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces” and “increases the likelihood of resuming landings of air defence forces in Crimea”.
Ukraine‘s “invisible” underwater kamikaze drones, capable of carrying 1,000lbs of explosives, are Vladimir Putin‘s newest nightmare.
The newly-designed $355k and 20ft Marichka torpedo-like weapons were only recently taken for a test swim, as Ukraine ramped up production of unmanned marine assault weapons.
It is the latest creation of Ammo.Ukraine, a volunteer organisation that is helping to turn the tides in the so-called “War of the Drones”.
The group says Marichka is immune to Russian radio-electronic warfare systems, meaning the pricey weapon is “invisible to the enemy”.
Last weekend, Ukraine destroyed Putin’s newest Black Sea Fleet warship – missile carrier Askold – before it had even gone into service.
A strike destroyed the Sevastopol headquarters of Putin’s Black Sea Fleet on September 22 and, nine days earlier, the £250 million Kilo-class attack submarine Rostov-on-Don and large landing ship Minsk.
In August, a marine drone packed with 450kg of TNT explosives attacked another Russian warship at Novorossiysk naval base.
Video showed the alleged SBU Ukrainian intelligence sea drone zooming towards the boat in the cover of darkness.
The footage abruptly ended as it appeared to hit the warship, believed to be either the Olenegorsky Miner or Olenegorsky Gornyak.
It was left half-submerged, sitting awkwardly low and titled in the water at Russia’s second largest port, and reportedly unable to perform combat tasks.
The suspected Ukrainian attack was allegedly orchestrated by both Ukraine’s intelligence services and its navy.
Multiple warships have been damaged during the Ukraine war, the most embarrassing for Putin being the Moskva frigate – Black Sea Fleet flagship – which was sunk in a strike by Ukrainian Neptune missiles in April 2022.
The ships were reportedly carrying a crew and loaded armoured vehicles
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