Ukraine Claims Sinking A Russian Landing Ship In Black Sea

Ukraine said on Saturday it had destroyed a Russian landing ship near Snake Island in the Black Sea, a small outcrop that has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion launched in late February, Euronews reported.

Photo Insert: "The traditional parade of the Russian fleet on May 9 this year will take place near Snake Island at the bottom of the sea," the Ukrainian defense ministry quipped on Twitter.

A Bayraktar TB2 combat drone, developed in Turkey, "hit a landing ship of the 11770 Serna project as well as two Tor surface-to-air missile systems," the Ukrainian navy said on Facebook, without specifying the date.

"The traditional parade of the Russian fleet on May 9 this year will take place near Snake Island at the bottom of the sea," the Ukrainian defense ministry quipped on Twitter. Moscow has not confirmed the claim.

In videos published by the Ukrainian army, a ship can be seen anchored near a pier hit by an explosion and then ravaged by flames and spreading a large plume of smoke. The 26-meter-long Serna is a Russian class of fast landing ship with a 45-ton carrying capacity.

Earlier, the Ukrainian army claimed to have bombed two Russian Raptor-class patrol boats off Snake Island, and both of them were also hit by Bayraktar TB2 combat drones, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

In mid-April, the Russian flagship Moskva sank in the Black Sea after being hit by Ukrainian missiles, according to Kiev and Washington. Moscow had claimed that it was damaged by an explosion on board.

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