Ukraine says it sunk a Russian warship in Black Sea in drone attack

Ukraine claimed Tuesday it has sunk another Russian warship in the Black Sea using high-tech sea drones as Kyiv's forces continue to take aim at targets deep behind the war's front line. Russian authorities did not confirm the claim.

The Ukrainian military intelligence agency said a special operations unit destroyed the large patrol ship Sergey Kotov overnight with Magura V5 uncrewed vessels that are designed and built in Ukraine and laden with explosives. The patrol ship, which Ukraine said was hit near the Kerch Strait, reportedly can carry cruise missiles and around 60 crew.

The Ukrainian claim could not immediately be independently verified, and disinformation has been a feature of the fighting that broke out after Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.

Kyiv's forces are struggling to keep the better-provisioned Russian army at bay at some points along the largely static 1,500-kilometre front line, but are also taking aim at targets deep beyond the battlefield.

In the Black Sea, Ukrainian successes against enemy warships have pushed the Russian fleet away from the coast, allowing Ukraine to set up a grain export corridor.

The Ukraine Defence Ministry posted on X, formerly Twitter, a video of what it said was the nighttime attack on the Sergey Kotov.

Struck at least twice

The private security firm Ambrey said the attack took place at the port of Feodosia, in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Ambrey said it has seen footage taken by a crew member on a merchant vessel in the port, showing the Sergey Kotov firing at the drones.

The ship was hit at least twice, with the second strike resulting in a large blast, Ambrey reported.

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Last month, Ukraine claimed it twice sank Russian warships using drones. On Feb. 1, it claimed to have sunk the Russian missile-armed corvette Ivanovets, and on Feb. 14 it said it destroyed the Caesar Kunikov landing ship. Russian officials did not confirm those claims.

Kyiv officials say some 20 per cent of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine are launched from the Black Sea, and hitting Russian ships there is embarrassing for Moscow.

The flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, the Moskva guided-missile cruiser, sank in 2022 after it was heavily damaged in a missile attack.

UN's Grossi hopes to talk nuclear plant with Putin

Meanwhile, the UN atomic watchdog agency's director was scheduled to arrive in Moscow on Tuesday for high-level talks with Russian officials to discuss the issue of nuclear safety in Ukraine.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Mariano Grossi made the announcement on Monday.

"The situation continues to be very fragile," Grossi told reporters, referring to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plantin southeastern Ukraine.

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The safety of the nuclear plant, which is Europe's largest, is "of tremendous importance in terms of international peace and security," he said.

Grossi said it was "the intention" that he will meet personally with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming trip, but added that he would expect Moscow as the host of the talks to officially confirm it.

Grossi last met with Putin in October 2022.

Grossi visited Ukraine in February, and crossed the front line to visit the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in person as part of the IAEA's efforts to prevent a nuclear disaster amid an ongoing war. He also held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He told reporters in Vienna that he considered it important to maintain a dialogue with both sides.

Grossi said he expected to discuss "technical issues" related to "the future operational status of the plant" in Moscow. He also said that if the six-unit Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is currently in cold shutdown, is to be restarted, he would need to discuss "what kind of safety evaluation" will be made.

The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the Zaporizhzhia facility amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. The plant has repeatedly been caught in the crossfire since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.