Ukraine strikes two Russian landing craft in Crimea, Kyiv says

PHOTO CAPTION: Representational photo — a suspected Ukrainian Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV). Image via USNI.

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces damaged two small Russian landing boats in Crimea during an overnight attack using sea drones, Ukraine's military intelligence agency said on Friday.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment by Russia, which seized and annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and whose Black Sea Fleet is headquartered in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.

"As a result of a night operation on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea, small amphibious ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet were hit by soldiers," the intelligence agency said on the Telegram messaging app.

The statement said the vessels were crewed, and loaded with armoured vehicles. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

Ukraine says some Russian navy vessels have relocated from Sevastopol following recent attacks.

Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in the south and east in early June, but has encountered strong resistance from Russia's occupying forces.

In the latest fighting reports, the Russian news agency RIA quoted Russia's defence ministry as saying Russian air defences had brought down two Ukrainian drones over Crimea and one over the Tula region south of Moscow early on Friday. Kyiv did not immediately comment and Reuters was unable to verify the report.



(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)