Ukraine’s military has made a bold move by attacking and destroying a Russian submarine while it was anchored at a port in the occupied Crimean peninsula. The Rostov-on-Don, a kilo-class attack submarine, sank after being struck in a missile attack on the port city of Sevastopol on Friday, according to Ukraine’s general staff.
The submarine was reportedly one of four operated by Russia’s Black Sea fleet capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles. The Russian defense ministry has not yet commented on the incident. This attack also reportedly destroyed four S-400 air defense systems protecting the peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
Intelligence officials in the UK had previously noted that the Rostov-on-Don likely suffered catastrophic damage in a missile strike while undergoing maintenance at a Sevastopol shipyard last September. Ukraine’s military stated that Russia had subsequently repaired the vessel and was recently testing its capabilities near Sevastopol. The vessel was estimated to be worth $300 million.
“The destruction of Rostov-on-Don once again proves that there is no safe place for the Russian fleet in the Ukrainian territorial waters of the Black Sea,” the general staff in Kyiv said in a statement on Saturday. This marks the latest in a series of attacks on Russian naval forces in Sevastopol in recent months, with Ukraine claiming to have hit two landing ships and a patrol vessel in March alone.
Since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has suffered several major naval setbacks, with Ukraine claiming to have seriously damaged or sunk at least 15 warships, including the Black Sea fleet’s flagship, the Moskva. Last week, Ukraine’s military announced that Moscow had been forced to withdraw all of its naval assets from the Sea of Azov due to repeated strikes on its vessels.
In response to Russian aggression, Ukraine has also targeted Russian assets, including a major airfield and oil depots in Russia. The Morozovsk airfield, where guided bombs used in attacks on Ukrainian cities are stored, was hit, causing powerful explosions and huge fires. Oil storage facilities in the Rostov, Kursk, and Belgorod regions were also targeted.
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of stopping Russian aircraft from launching guided air bombs towards Ukraine and stated that attacking airfields in Russia was a fair response. Ukraine’s allies, including the US, have recently granted permission for Kyiv to attack some targets along the border using Western weapons.
In a significant development, Lithuania’s foreign minister announced that the first deliveries of F-16 fighter jets had arrived in Ukraine, a long-awaited move by Kyiv’s NATO allies. President Zelensky views these planes as crucial to Ukraine’s air defense plans and hopes they can help push back against Russian advances in the country’s east.
As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues to escalate, the use of military force and strategic attacks on naval and air assets are becoming increasingly common. The situation remains tense, with both sides vying for control and seeking to gain the upper hand in the ongoing conflict.
