Editor’s note: This is a developing story.

A patrol ship from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Sergey Kotov, was hit and destroyed in an overnight attack orchestrated by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR), the agency said on March 5.

Reports of the attack on the Russian vessel came after nighttime explosions on the occupied peninsula, amid which the Kerch Bridge was shut down. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 38 drones had been destroyed over Crimea.

Several Ukrainian media outlets reported earlier today that the Russian vessel was hit by Ukrainian naval drones.

According to Ukraine’s military intelligence, the ship suffered damage to its stern and on its left and right sides. Sergey Kotov was reportedly located near the Kerch Strait at the time of the attack.

“The cost of the sunken ship is about $65 million,” the agency wrote.

According to the statement, the operation was carried out in cooperation with Ukraine’s Navy and the Digital Transformation Ministry.

Sergey Kotov has already reportedly been hit by naval drones along with another patrol ship, the Vasiliy Bykov, in September 2023. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the vessels allegedly managed to repel the attack.

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The Sergey Kotov is one of a number of Russian ships reported by the HUR to have been hit. On Feb. 14, the Russian landing ship Caesar Kunikov was sunk in the Black Sea after being attacked by Magura V5 naval drones.

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