Russia says Crimean shipyard on fire, two ships damaged in Ukraine missile attack

Ukraine attacked the port with 10 missiles and three speedboats early on Wednesday, setting fire to the Sevastopol Shipyard on the Crimean Peninsula and damaging two ships, according to the Russian defence ministry.

Russian air defence systems shot down seven missiles, and a patrol ship sank all three boats, according to a statement from the ministry posted on the messaging app Telegram.

“As a result of being hit by enemy cruise missiles, two ships under repair were damaged,” the ministry said.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea and a major Black Sea port, said on Telegram that at least 24 people were injured.

“All emergency services are working on the site, there is no danger to civilian objects in the city,” Razvozhayev said.

Building and maintaining ships and submarines for the Russian Black Sea Fleet takes place at the strategic shipyard on the peninsula, which Russia acquired from Ukraine in 2014. The fleet has attacked Ukraine repeatedly with drones and missiles.

A midnight image of flames consuming what appeared to be port infrastructure was uploaded by Razvozhayev. Massive flames at a building next to the lake were documented in videos and other images on Russian Telegram channels.

Although Ukraine hardly ever publicly takes credit for attacks inside of Russia or on Ukrainian territory that is under Russian control, it has recently claimed that doing so will aid its counteroffensive.

(With agency inputs)