Ukraine destroyed a Russian landing craft in the Black Sea in its latest cruise missile attack

At least one person was killed and five others injured when Ukrainian forces carried out overnight cruise missile raids on a Russian warship disembarking in the Black Sea’s Feodosia on Tuesday, according to the Interfax President Vladimir Putin’s news agency was briefed on the latest attack from Kiev on Christmas Eve.

According to Russian media, Ukrainian forces used air-launched missiles to attack the Crimean port of Feodosia.

The Kremlin noted that the Russian President was also briefed on the Ukrainian attack by Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, speaking to Radio Free Europe, said he thought it would be difficult for Novocherkassk – which can carry tanks and armored vehicles and be used to land troops ashore – to return to service.

“We can see how strong the explosion was, what the explosion was like. After that, it’s very difficult for a ship to survive, because it wasn’t a missile, that’s the munitions explosion,” he said.

The spokesman also said Ukraine used cruise missiles in the attack, without specifying the type. Such weapons had been granted by Britain and France to Ukraine.

During military contact between the two warring forces, Russian anti-aircraft weapons destroyed two Ukrainian Su-24 jets near the city of Mykolai, Moscow said.

After the attack, about 250 rescuers responded to the situation.

Landing ships are primarily used to transport large military cargo and ground forces during operations. The damaged Novocherkassk was able to carry 10 main battle tanks and 340 soldiers.

A similar type of weapon was also used in the September attack on a military dock in Sevastopol, in which the Kilo-class diesel attack submarine Rostov-on-Don and the Ropucha-class amphibious assault ship Minsk were hit.

Earlier this week, Russia claimed to have taken control of the strategic Ukrainian town of Maryinka in the Donetsk People’s Republic – a major stronghold of Kiyv forces.