Fresh blow for Putin as Ukrainian drones 'sink Russian landing ship in the Black Sea'

VLADIMIR PUTIN'S Black Sea navy suffered a fresh blow today with a large Russian landing ship sunk by Ukrainian sea drones, according to military reports.

- Nicholas Cocil

Ukrainian armed forces said they destroyed the Tsezar Kunikov off occupied Crimea in the Black Sea. Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence published a video which it claimed showed Magura V5 sea drones striking the ship.

"The (ship) suffered critical holes in its port side and began to sink," it said, adding that the vessel had been destroyed by a unit called Group 13.

The ship was reported to be in Ukrainian territorial waters near Alupka "at the time of the hit".

The Tsezar Kunikov was said to be a 112m Russian Ropucha-class landing ship, with around 50 crew.

In December, Ukrainian cruise missiles struck another large Russian landing warship off Crimea. A Russian corvette was also reportedly targeted in the Black Sea earlier this month.