Ukrainian missiles strike Crimea shipyard, damages Russian ship

The Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian missiles struck a Crimea shipyard and damaged a Russian ship on Saturday.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that 15 Ukrainian cruise missiles were launched at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch, a city in the east of the Crimean Peninsula, The Associated Press reported. The Defense Ministry said its forces struck down 13 of the missiles, but others struck the shipyard, damaging one of their ships.

Russia did not say what ship was damaged or what the extent of the damage was due to the strikes, but Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk confirmed the strike in a post on Telegram and noted that one of the “most modern ships” of Russia’s was in the shipyard at the time of the strike.

“In the meantime, we are waiting for official confirmation of the results once again; I would like to thank the pilots of the tactical aviation of the Air Forces for successful cruise missile strikes on the infrastructure of the Zaliv shipbuilding yard in Kerch, where one of the most modern ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, a Kalibr cruise missile carrier, was stationed,” Oleshchuk said.

Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and it has recently become a target in the 21-month-long war with Ukraine. Ukraine has launched a series of attacks targeting Crimea in recent weeks as part of its counteroffensive against Russia.

The Associated Press contributed.