In a dramatic escalation in the sea, Ukraine's spy ship Simferopol — reported to be Ukraine's largest-ever commissioned vessel in over a decade — was destroyed on Thursday when it was struck by a Russian sea drone in the Danube River delta, a statement from the Russian Defence Ministry said.
The Laguna-class ship, which was fitted with radio, electronic, radar, and optical monitoring equipment, was targeted in Ukraine's Odessa Region. Russian state media referred to the attack as the first time a Ukrainian naval vessel had been eliminated by a Russian sea drone.
Ukrainian Navy officials have confirmed that a sailor died and several others were injured in the attack. Rescue operations continue for those still unaccounted for, while most of the crew had been evacuated. "Efforts to deal with the consequences of the attack are underway," a spokesman said.
The Simferopol, commissioned in 2019 and accepted into Ukraine's navy in 2021, was the largest ship built in Kiev since 2014, according to independent defense analysts.
Russia, which has aggressively accelerated its work on unmanned technology, has been relying heavily on both naval drones and UAVs in its recent campaigns. Experts note that the incident shows the growing significance of drone warfare within the conflict.
Meanwhile, Russian media reported that two missile attacks landed on a plant in Kiev that was connected to the production of drones, where Turkish Bayraktar drones were reportedly being readied for assembly. Ukrainian politician Igor Zinkevich confirmed the night attacks.
The sinking of Simferopol is a significant setback to the naval power of Ukraine as both Moscow and Kiev step up the use of drone technology in the war.
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