According to Ukraine's allegations, the Russian Defense Ministry reported damage to the Novocherkask, a large landing ship, following an alleged Ukrainian attack in the port of Feodosia in Crimea. Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk acknowledged the personnel involved in "the destruction of the Novocherkask," but independent confirmation of the incident is pending.
The Russia-appointed head of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, confirmed an "enemy attack in the Feodosia area," noting that the detonation had ceased, and the fire was localized. One casualty and two injuries were reported in the Ukrainian strikes, although Aksyonov did not specifically mention the Novocherkask.
Aksyonov mentioned that the Novocherkask had been following the Moskva, Russia's former flagship guided-missile cruiser that sank in April 2022 after a Ukrainian missile strike. This incident adds to the ongoing tensions in Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
In a separate claim, Ukraine asserted in September that the Novocherkask's sister ship, the Minsk, was destroyed in an attack on the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea. As the situation unfolds, stay tuned for updates on the alleged Ukrainian attack and its impact on regional dynamics.