UKRAINE CLAIMS STRIKE ON RUSSIAN BLACK SEA FLEET HQ KILLED NINE AND INJURED SENIOR OFFICERS

Sat 23 September 2023:

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While Independent Press takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Nine people were killed and 16 injured, among them two generals, in a Ukrainian airstrike on Russia’s Black Sea naval headquarters in Crimea, according to the head of Ukrainian military intelligence.

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, told the Voice of America that “among the wounded is the commander of the group, Col Gen [Alexander] Romanchuk, in a very serious condition. The chief of staff, Lt Gen [Oleg] Tsekov, is unconscious.”

A Ukrainian missile strike hit the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol on Friday. Footage posted on social media showed clouds of white smoke billowing from the rooftop of the building.

The moment a second Storm Shadow(?) missile hit the HQ of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sebastopol, Crimea.#UkraineRussiaWar pic.twitter.com/CcpQdMu22X

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) September 23, 2023

Soon after the strike Russia’s defence ministry said that one military serviceman was missing as a result of the assault.

Budanov did not confirm reports about the alleged death of the commander of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, Adm Viktor Sokolov.

“The number of casual military servicemen who are not employees of the headquarters is still being determined. These are military personnel who are on duty, security, and so on — they are not included in the list that I announced to you,” Budanov was quoted as saying by Voice of America.

No immediate response from Russia to the claims was available.

Crimea has served as the key hub supporting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Sevastopol, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet since the 19th century, has had particular importance for navy operations since the start of the war.

Ukraine’s attacks have significant ‘psychological’ effect

Andrey Kortunov, an adviser to the Russian foreign ministry and director of Russian international affairs council, has been on the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme discussing the strike on Russian navy’s Black Sea HQ.

Kortunov emphasised the “psychological” importance of long range missiles being used in the strike. “I think psychologically it’s important because it’s a long range missile – its destruction power is pretty significant. But militarily, I don’t think it really makes that big a damage – after all it didn’t hit any really critical military targets and the damage at least according to the reports we received is quite limited.”

Is this rattling Russian people, he is asked. “Yes, I think it does have an impact on the Russian population. Paradoxically, I think it strengthens the position of the leadership because what Russians see right now is that it’s not just Putin’s war – it’s their war and it has an impact on the civilian population because at least some of these missiles hit not just military targets but residential areas, like the drone attacks that we saw in Moscow.

“Definitely it has an effect of political mobilisation – we don’t know how long this factor might last for,” he said, acknowledging this is a view based on “anecdotal” evidence.

Kortunov said that “both sides have to make concessions” but that it is difficult to make the case for this because they are “diametrically opposed” to each other. “Once you start talking about [that] you will be labelled as a traitor,” he said.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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