Russia's Strategic Shipyard in Crimea Burns Due to Missile and Speedboat Attacks

Sevastopol. (Wikimedia Commons/VascoPlanet Crimea Photography)

JAKARTA - The strategic Sevastopol Shipyard on the Crimean Peninsula caught fire on Wednesday morning and damaged two ships, the Russian Defense Ministry said, saying it was caused by 10 missiles and three speedboat attacks carried out by Ukraine.

Seven missiles were shot down by the Russian air defense system. Meanwhile, the three speedboats were destroyed by a patrol boat, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement on the Telegram messaging application.

The ministry said that as a result of the cruise missile attack, two ships undergoing repairs at the shipyard were damaged.

Meanwhile, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-appointed governor of Sevastopol, Crimea's largest city and main Black Sea port, said on Telegram that the attack left at least 24 people injured.

"All emergency services are working at the location, there is no danger to civilian objects in the city," said Razvozhayev, as reported by Reuters, September 13.

The Sevastopol shipyard is of strategic value. Russia uses it to build and repair warships and submarines for the Black Sea Fleet. Since the February 2022 invasion, the fleet has launched numerous drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.

Razvozhayev uploaded a photo of flames consuming port infrastructure at night. Meanwhile, a Russian Telegram channel uploaded video and more photos of a large fire at a facility on the water's edge.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv.

Ukraine itself has almost never publicly claimed responsibility for attacks in Russia or on Russian-held territory in Ukraine. But in recent months Kyiv has said destroying Russia's military infrastructure aided the counteroffensive it has been carrying out since June.