Ukraine destroys Russian warship in blow for Putin

VLADIMIR Putin's naval fleet has been dealt another major blow after one if its most modern warships was "hit and sunk" in an unmanned drone strike by Ukraine.

- Mark Reynolds

The £51million patrol vessel Sergey Kotov - which only came into service during the war in 2022 was struck near Feodosia, in occupied Crimea, bursting into flames.

Footage appeared to show the explosion, which lit up the night sky shortly after midnight just off the coast. The vessel normally has a crew of 80 and their fate remains unclear.

The strike is just the latest in a series to sink Putin's warships in the region since his troops invaded two years ago.

Damage

Such success hugely limits his control of the Black Sea.

Ukrainian military intelligence quickly claimed yesterday's successful attack, revealing they used their own Magura V5 maritime drones to strike the Sergey Kotov.

The 308ft long patrol vessel "sustained damage to the stern, starboard and port sides" which led it to sink, said a spokesman.