Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) said it struck Russian military targets in annexed Crimea, releasing what it said was footage of the attack. In a statement, the agency said drones attacked two landing ships of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet — the Yamal and the Nikolai Filchenkov — as well as a Podlet-K1 air defense radar system in Sevastopol during the night of April 19.
The published video shows drones flying toward the targets, with the image cutting off at the moment of close approach. HUR said both ships were disabled and that the radar station was destroyed.
On the evening of April 18, Russian-installed authorities in Sevastopol announced an air raid alert. No official information was released about any consequences of the attack.
The Ukrainian open source intelligence project Oko Hora (Eye of Horus) ✙ News and Analysis also circulated videos of the attack, describing them as “objective control” of the strike on the ships. There is no independent confirmation of the extent of the damage or of the destruction of the targets.
Large landing ships (BDK) are used to transport troops and equipment. They can carry armored vehicles, including tanks, along with up to several hundred marines. The Yamal is a Project 775 ship built in 1988. These vessels, designed for amphibious landings and equipped with artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, form the backbone of Russia’s naval landing forces.
The Nikolai Filchenkov is an older Project 1171 ship that entered service in 1975. It is also designed to transport equipment and personnel and can carry out amphibious missions as well as military transport operations. Both ships are part of the Black Sea Fleet and are based in Sevastopol.
