Missile strike on Sevastopol reportedly sets fire on Russian ship

A missile was launched at the Russian Black Sea Fleet stationed in occupied Sevastopol on April 21, the city’s Russian-installed governor has said.

In a post on Telegram, Mikhail Razvozhayev claimed an anti-ship missile had been “repelled” and “fragments caused a small fire, which was quickly extinguished”, according to Kyiv Independent.

Unverified video posted to social media appeared to show a Russian naval vessel on fire and local media reported the Crimea bridge had been closed.

A source in Ukraine’s military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent that information on the strike was still being clarified.

Sevastopol is home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and is frequently targeted by Ukrainian missile and sea drone strikes.

Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said on March 30 that Russia had withdrawn nearly all its major ships from ports in occupied Crimea following successful Ukrainian strikes.

To prevent further Ukrainian drone strikes on the Black Sea fleet, Russian forces in occupied Crimea are constructing barriers at the entrance to Sevastopol Bay, the partisan group Atesh reported on March 27.

Russia is also trying to strengthen the defense of its Novorossiysk port, where Moscow had begun redeploying its Black Sea fleet from Sevastopol last year, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its daily update on March 31.