The Russian forces launches a major attack on several fronts and Ukraine announce shooting down 19 suicide drones and confirm destroying a Russian warship in the Black Sea

The Ukrainian Air Force said on Tuesday that Ukrainian air defense systems last night destroyed 13 out of 19 drones that Russia launched into Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Air Force also announced at dawn on Tuesday that it had destroyed in Crimea a ship belonging to the Russian Black Sea fleet that was suspected of transporting Iranian-made drones used by Russia in the war.

The Ukrainian Air Force said in a post on Telegram, “the large landing ship Novocherkassk was destroyed by Air Force pilots in Feodosia in the Crimean Peninsula”.

The statement added, “People say they were loaded with Shahid drones,” the Iranian-made bomb drones that Russia uses extensively in its war against Ukraine.

The attack occurred at approximately 02:30 (00:30 GMT) using tactical aviation cruise missiles, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

The Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk posted a video clip showing the flash of an explosion and a ball of flame illuminating the darkness of the night.

The Russian naval base of Feodosia is located in the Black Sea on the Crimean Peninsula.

The President of the Republic of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, confirmed that an attack had occurred in Feodosia.

The Russian official said in a post on Telegram, “A hostile attack was launched in the Feodosia region… A security cordon was imposed around the port area”.

He added that “the explosion has ended and the fire has been contained”.

Aksyonov didn’t specify the nature of the damage, but he confirmed that the authorities had to evacuate the residents of a number of homes.

Ukraine often carries out attacks in the Crimean Peninsula, especially targeting the Russian army.

In April 2022, the Ukrainian army sank the cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

The Air Force also said that Ukraine was subjected to a new night attack using witness drones, especially in the Kherson and Odessa regions.

The source confirmed that 13 of the 19 Russian drones were intercepted, without indicating any casualties or damage.