- Ukraine says it has destroyed a Russian minesweeper in the Black Sea.
- The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine celebrated the loss of the Kovrovets minesweeper on X.
- Ukraine claims to have destroyed or disabled a third of Russian ships in the Black Sea during the war.
Ukrainian forces destroyed Russia's Kovrovets sea minesweeper, the Ukrainian Navy reported on Telegram.
"The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with their comrades, continue to bring us closer to victory," the Ukrainian Navy wrote on its Telegram channel.
No information on where the attack took place or what weapons were used to target the Kovrovets, but Ukraine has had notable success in tormenting the Russian fleet with exploding drone boats.
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the Russian Navy's latest loss.
Another bad day for the russian Black Sea Fleet.
Overnight, Ukrainian defenders destroyed a russian minesweeper Project 266M "Kovrovets".
Great job, warriors! pic.twitter.com/ol4reKtuN6— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 19, 2024
The Kovrovets, a Project 266M Natya class minesweeper, was used for mine-sweeping operations, reconnaissance, and control sweeping, Euromaidan Press reports. It had also been deployed off the coast of in Syria.
The Soviet-era minesweepers were built in the 1970s and 1980s and carried a crew of 68.
In March, the Ukrainian Navy told AP News that Ukraine had destroyed or disabled one-third of all Russian warships that had been stationed in the Black Sea before the war.
The latest sinking of a Russian warship follows attacks on Novorossiysk on Friday. The Russian port has become an important base for the Black Sea Fleet after repeated attacks on its traditional base in Crimea.
It appears the attack on Novorossiysk was part of Ukraine's biggest drone attack ever.
Satellite images from April indicate that Russia was beefing up its defenses for its Black Sea Fleet naval base in Novorossiysk.
However, Novorossiysk was struck by Ukrainian missiles and drones this weekend.
As Ukraine maintains pressure on Russia in Crimea and the Black Sea region, its troops have struggled to fend off Russian advances along the eastern front, particularly near Kharkiv.
Despite progress made by Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was not experiencing a shortage of artillery shells for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.