Ukraine claims to have sunk another warship in Vladimir Putin’s prized Black Sea fleet, in an overnight drone attack near occupied Crimea.
In claims echoed by multiple Russian military bloggers, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency claimed that special forces units struck several direct hits to the hull of the Ivanovets missile ship as it patrolled near Lake Donuzlav, after which the warship “rolled to the stern and sank”.
The loss, if confirmed, marks merely the latest embarrasment for the Russian fleet, which analysts say has been forced to disperse from its former positions in the Black Sea amid mounting losses.
It came as the European Union unanimously agreed to send a €50bn (£43bn) support package to Ukraine after months of deadlock, in which Hungary had refused to vote in favour the aid.
The breakthrough came after Hungary’s leader Viktor Orban – who had accused Brussels of trying to “blackmail” Budapest – sat down with the EU’s top five leaders to discuss ceasing his blocking of the bill, which requires unanimity from the bloc’s 27 members to go through.