Ukraine's drones drive Russian ships from sea of AZOV
5:43 PM EDT, July 25, 2024
Ukraine's naval spokesperson, Dmytro Pletenciuk, informed that Russia has withdrawn its units from the Sea of Azov. This is the result of a successful strike by Ukrainian drones on a rail ferry in the Russian port of Kavkaz.
Pletenciuk commented on the situation on television, saying: "There are no more Russian ships in the Sea of Azov. (…) This is primarily due to the destruction, or rather damage, of the rail ferry. They simply took a map and a compass, measured and understood that staying there is unsafe. This is the only reason and the only language that is understandable to our enemy. This is the language of force."
Additionally, as the spokesperson conveyed, Russians have limited their activity in the Black Sea to maintaining only a submarine there. No surface units have been observed for over a week.
- We observe one Project 136 submarine in the Black Sea. This has become their standard practice, effectively shifting to the presence of submarines in the Black Sea. Previously, there were no units there for over a week. However, they cannot afford to completely leave the Black Sea," Pletenciuk emphasized.
Precise strike by Ukrainians: "Slavyanin" hit
The drone attack on the rail ferry took place on Tuesday in the port of Kavkaz in the Krasnodar Krai. After a precise hit, a fire broke out in the unit. According to local authorities, one person died, and several were injured.
The General Staff of Ukraine issued a statement stating that the attack damaged the rail ferry Slavyanin, which Russia uses to transport military equipment, including rail cars, vehicles, and containers.
"Slavyanin is the third and last of the rail ferries Russia had in this area," the statement said.