In its latest defence intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine, the UK Defence Ministry disclosed on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, that “a dynamic, deep strike battle is underway in the Black Sea.”
In a statement on the social media platform X, the Ministry noted, “This is likely forcing Russia into a reactive posture whilst demonstrating that Ukraine’s military can undermine the Kremlin’s symbolic and strategic power projection from its warm water port in occupied Sevastopol.”
According to the UK Defence Ministry, the Russian Black Sea Fleet has suffered a series of major attacks in recent weeks, “culminating in attacks on its headquarters on 20 and 22 September 2023.”
“These attacks have been more damaging and more coordinated than thus far in the war,” it said.
Ukraine struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet(BSF) in the port city of Sevastopol on Friday, September 22, 2023.
“The physical damage to the BSF is almost certainly severe but localised,” the UK Defence Minstry stated.
“The fleet almost certainly remains capable of fulfilling its core wartime missions of cruise missile strikes and local security patrols.
“It is, however, likely that its ability to continue wider regional security patrols and enforce its de facto blockade of Ukrainian ports will be diminished. It also likely has a degraded ability to defend its assets in port and to conduct routine maintenance.”
UK Defence Ministry
Ukraine’s special forces said that Friday’s attack on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol was aimed at a meeting of the Russian Navy’s leadership.
“After the strike on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, 34 officers died, including the Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Another 105 occupiers were wounded. The headquarters building cannot be restored,” Ukraine’s special forces said.
Overnight Attacks Cause Injuries And Damage In Odesa Region
The Governor of the Odesa region disclosed on Tuesday that an overnight Russian air strike on the Ukrainian grain exporting port of Izmail injured two people and damaged infrastructure.
Oleh Kiper noted on the Telegram messaging app that the attack lasted more than two hours. He added that a port building, storage facilities and more than 30 trucks and cars were damaged in the attack.
The Ukrainian military reported that it shot down 26 of the 38 Iranian-made attack drones it said were launched by Russia.
Also on Tuesday, a Russian missile strike damaged a local enterprise in the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.
Mayor of Kryvyi Rih, Oleksandr Vilkul stated that there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Ukrainian MP, Kira Rudik called for an urgent upgrade in the air defence around Odesa, after repeated Russian attacks.
She posted on social media, “Odesa region urgently needs an air defence upgrade as Russia escalates air attacks. We must protect everyone and everything until Russians are weakened and stopped.”
Additionally, the Kherson Oblast military administration disclosed that Russian forces struck Ukraine’s Kherson at dawn, injuring two people in the Korabelnyi district.
Oleksandr Prokudin, the Governor of the region, said that Russia also hit the villages of Kyselivka and Olhivka in the morning.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry stated that Russian air defence units repelled several Ukraine drone attacks over the Belgorod and Kursk regions late on Monday, destroying at least 11 drones in total.
The Ministry in several separate statements on its Telegram messaging app said that seven drones were downed over the Belgorod region and four over the Kursk region.
The Ministry provided no information on possible damage or injuries from the attacks. Moscow rarely discloses details, unless civilian or non-military infrastructure is damaged.
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