33 Russian sailors suspected missing after warship hit by Ukrainian missile

33 thủy thủ Nga nghi mất tích sau vụ chiến hạm trúng tên lửa Ukraine - 1 — The Ukrainian missile attack in the early morning of December 26 damaged the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk (Photo: Sun).

The independent Telegram channel Astra, citing a well-informed source, reported that the Russian Navy’s Novocherkassk landing ship was hit by a missile in Crimea on the night of December 25 and early morning of December 26, with 77 sailors on board. The attack left at least 19 people injured and 33 missing.

Earlier, Crimea Governor Sergei Aksyonov said one person was killed and four others were injured, and several buildings were damaged in the attack.

In the early morning of December 26, the Crimean peninsula was shaken by a series of explosions. The Russian Defense Ministry later confirmed that Ukraine had launched a missile attack on the port city of Feodosia in the Crimean peninsula, damaging the country's large landing ship Novocherkassk.

Moscow also claimed to have shot down two Ukrainian Su-24 fighter jets involved in the attack. However, Moscow did not mention the specific damage to the Novocherkassk.

Novocherkask is a Ropucha-class landing ship of the Russian Navy, part of the Black Sea Fleet. Pro-Ukrainian sources said that the ship was hit while carrying Iranian-made Shahed UAVs.

Landing ships are primarily used to transport large military cargo and deploy ground forces in amphibious operations. Novocherkassk can carry 10 main battle tanks and 340 soldiers.

Following the incident on December 26, Russia is said to have increased security measures in the city of Feodosia.

Moscow appears to want to find the informant who helped Ukraine carry out the attack on the Novocherkassk's docking area, while also preventing the leak of information regarding the specific damage to the ship and port infrastructure.

Ukraine claims to have destroyed 20% of Russia's fleet

Immediately after the raid on the morning of December 26, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk announced on Telegram that Kiev's attack destroyed the Russian Navy's Novocherkask landing ship.

"The Russian fleet is getting smaller and smaller. This time it is the turn of the large landing ship Novocherkask to follow in the footsteps of the cruiser Moskva (which sank in the Black Sea after being attacked by Ukraine last year)," Oleshchuk wrote.

Ukraine has recently stepped up attacks on the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, in an effort to erode the capabilities of the Russian navy. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksii Danilov said that Ukraine has so far destroyed 20% of the Russian fleet.

"Of course, we would like to regain more territory. But in parallel with that process, we have made important advances in the Black Sea. About 20% of the Russian fleet has been destroyed, not only small ships but also large warships that suffered the same fate as the Moskva cruiser," he said.

Despite these advances, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of the Tavriia Strategic Operations Group, predicts that 2024 will be a more difficult and challenging year than 2023 for Ukraine's combat operations.

"Next year will be even more difficult because we have to end this war, regain territory. The closer we get to achieving our goals, the more difficult the task will be. The enemy knows this and will do everything to prevent us from achieving our goals," he said.

Asked whether he thought the conflict would end next year, Mr. Tarnavskyi said: "I never frame the question as when the conflict will end, but when victory is achieved. Because the end of hostilities can be in many different ways, but for our army, it must be victory."

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