In Crimea, on the morning of February 14, explosions rang out in the Black Sea near the villages of Simeiz and Katsyveli in the south of the peninsula. Locals saw smoke from the sea and heard sounds similar to the detonation of ammunition. Russian aircraft also flew over the water area.
Citing intelligence sources, "Suspilne" wrote that it was an operation of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (also known as GUR). Its fighters attacked and sank the large Russian assault ship "Caesar Kunikov".
The Russians sent a search and rescue ship to search for the Russian assault ship.
Before that, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that Russian air defense had allegedly destroyed six drones over the Black Sea.
Subsequently, the Naval Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the General Staff confirmed the destruction of the assault ship.
- "Cesar Kunikov" is a large assault ship of project 775 of the Black Sea Fleet of Russia with the ship number 158. Such ships are designed for the landing of naval amphibious assaults, the transfer of troops and cargo. They can transport armored vehicles, including tanks. The Russian assault ship "Minsk" was also destroyed in this way.
- According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of February 14, 2024, during the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian troops destroyed 25 boats and ships, including the Caesar Kunikov, as well as the Rostov-on-Don submarine. The most significant destroyed target remains the missile cruiser "Moskva", which was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. It was sunk on April 14, 2022.