Russia Sinks Ukraine’s Largest Naval Ship in Drone Strike
Odesa region attack leaves one dead, several missing; Zelenskyy slams Putin over fresh missile and drone barrage
- Russia sinks Ukraine’s largest naval ship, Simferopol, in Odesa region.
- First Russian naval drone strike on a Ukrainian vessel.
- 1 sailor dead, several missing; search operations underway.
- Russia bombards Kyiv with missiles and drones, killing 19.
GG News Bureau
Kyiv, 29th Aug: In a devastating blow to Ukraine’s military, Russia sunk the country’s largest naval ship, Simferopol, in a drone strike on Thursday. The reconnaissance vessel was struck by a Russian naval drone in the Danube River delta near the Odesa region, marking Moscow’s first-ever naval drone strike on a Ukrainian vessel.
According to Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk, the attack left one sailor dead and several missing, while most of the crew were rescued. “Efforts to address the aftermath are ongoing. The search for missing sailors continues,” he said.
The strike is being seen as a major escalation in naval warfare, as Ukraine has previously targeted multiple Russian ships but had rarely faced such naval losses since the war began in February 2022. Reports suggest the attack was carried out using a remotely operated boat.
Meanwhile, Russia intensified its air assault on Thursday with a drone and missile barrage on Kyiv, killing at least 19 people, including four children, and injuring over 48. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Vladimir Putin, accusing him of “killing children” and warning that Moscow’s actions threaten not just Ukraine but global stability.
Zelenskyy revealed that nearly 600 drones and 31 missiles, including ballistic, were launched in one day. Russia, however, claimed it had intercepted 102 Ukrainian drones in retaliation.
“This strike clearly shows that Russia’s goals remain unchanged. They want war, not peace,” Zelenskyy said, calling the assault an attack on Ukraine, Europe, and the wider world.
