The Sevastopol Shipyard on the Crimean Peninsula was on fire early on Wednesday and two ships were damaged after Ukraine launched 10 missiles and three speedboat attacks on the port, Russia's defense ministry said.
It's a fiery storm in #Sevastopol o'clock. pic.twitter.com/HNFiUCHy0h
— MFA of Ukraine (@MFA_Ukraine) September 13, 2023
Seven missiles were downed by Russia's air defense systems and all three boats were destroyed by a patrol ship, the ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
"As a result of being hit by enemy cruise missiles, two ships under repair were damaged," the ministry said.
Giant explosions at the ship repair facility for Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, occupied Crimea pic.twitter.com/V4gOQbZlwJ
— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) September 13, 2023
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea and a major Black Sea port, said on Telegram that at least 24 people were injured.
Razvozhayev posted a photo of big flames engulfing in the dark what seemed like port infrastructure. Russian Telegram channels posted videos and more photos of massive flames at a facility bordering water.
Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv.
Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but has been saying in recent months that destroying Russia's military infrastructure helps Kyiv's counteroffensive.