Russian naval vessel Vsevolod Bobrov on fire, Ukraine claims attack

Ukraine on Thursday claimed that it had carried out a successful attack on another Russian naval vessel, weeks after Ukrainian anti-ship missiles allegedly sank the Russian Navy’s flagship of the Black Sea fleet, the Moskva.

The news of the attack on the naval vessel, named ‘Vsevolod Bobrov’, was communicated by Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odessa Regional Military Administration via Telegram.

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“As a result of the actions of our Navy, the Vsevolod Bobrov logistics ship, one of the newest in the Russian fleet, set on fire. They say she is limping toward Sevastopol,” Bratchuk was quoted as saying by Ukrinform.

However, Bratchuk said that “the information [on the ship being towed to Sevastopol] is yet to be clarified,” adding, “But the fact that she suffered a ‘snake bite’ in the area of ​​Snake Island is true.”

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Andriy Klymenko, the head of the Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies, also confirmed to Ukrinform that the Vsevolod Bobrov had been caught in an engagement on Thursday, May 12.

The attack on the Vsevolod Bobrov, if confirmed, would mark yet another successful Ukrainian strike on the Russian Navy in recent weeks: Kyiv claims to have attacked or destroyed half a dozen Russian Navy warships over the past few weeks, including its flagship cruiser, the Moskva.

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While Ukraine had been on the backfoot in the initial days of the Russian invasion that began on February 24, Kyiv’s forces have since rallied amid a Russian withdrawal, and have retaken key areas.

Ukraine, aided by advanced weapons systems from Western nations, has also stepped up attacks on Russian naval vessels in a bid to cripple Moscow’s ability to carry out naval operations near strategic port cities such as Mariupol and Odessa. Till date, Kyiv claims to have destroyed 13 Russian ships.