Libkos via AP
- A critical base in Russian-controlled Crimea caught fire in a Ukrainian missile attack.
- Some 24 people were injured, authorities said — and two Russian navy vessels were damaged.
- The Sevastopol Shipyard plays a key role in servicing Russia's Black Sea fleet.
A major shipyard in Russian-controlled Crimea caught fire in a late-night Ukrainian missile attack, according to officials there.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russia-installed governor of Sevastopol, posted a photo of the fire on Telegram on Wednesday morning.
"All emergency services are working on the site, there is no danger to civilian objects in the city," Razvozhayev said.
"As a result of the attack, according to preliminary information, a total of 24 people were injured," he continued.
The Russian Ministry of Defense later said in a Telegram message that the fire at Sevastopol Shipyard was caused by a Ukrainian missile strike.
The message accused the Ukrainian armed forces of firing 10 cruise missiles at the shipyard and launching three sea drones at Russian ships in the Black Sea.
According to Russia's Ministry of Defense, the Russian forces managed to shoot down seven missiles and destroy all the drones.
"As a result of being hit by enemy cruise missiles, two ships undergoing repairs were damaged," said their Telegram message.
Several videos of what appeared to be the missile strike were also uploaded to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.
The Kyiv Post, for instance, posted a video showing a massive fireball lighting up the night, along with what appeared to be an image of a port engulfed in a fiery inferno.
⚡️Several powerful explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied #Sevastopol, Crimea, overnight. Russian occupation authorities reported a missile attack.
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) September 13, 2023
Local Telegram channels reported a fire at the Sevastopol Shipyard, which is a location for the construction and repair… pic.twitter.com/eR0vXIl3GC
As Insider reported, the attacks appeared to hit a dry dock and damage a submarine and a landing craft.
Alongside a picture of the flaming blast site, the prominent account OSINTtechnical wrote that Ukrainian forces appeared to have hit the Sevastopol Shipyard drydocks, which were "likely occupied by a Russian Kilo-class sub and Ropucha landing ship."
It provided a photo of the burning blast site and an aerial image of the dry docks, with cross-reference points suggesting that was the spot impacted.
OSINTtechnical highlighted another analyst's post from late August, which showed images of a Kilo-class submarine and a Ropcuha-class landing vehicle in dry dock. The imagery from September 12 seems to demonstrate that they were still present.
The Sevastopol Shipyard plays a critical role in constructing and servicing vessels from Russia's Black Sea fleet. While Russia's naval power is significantly larger than Ukraine's, the Russian navy has struggled against Ukraine's exploding sea drones.
Representatives for Ukraine's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.