How Ukraine sank the Caesar Kunikov—and is beating Russia at sea
It is the fourth landing ship Ukraine has taken out in the Black Sea in seven months
WHILE UKRAINE’S land forces are suffering from Russia’s growing advantage in artillery fires, its naval campaign against the Black Sea Fleet is yielding spectacular results. On February 14th, less than two weeks after destroying the missile ship Ivanovets, the Ukrainians claimed to have sunk another valuable Russian warship, the Caesar Kunikov, a Ropucha-class landing ship, in the small hours of the morning. The claim was supported by video footage of the ship (see below), which was at sea off Alupka in Crimea, being struck numerous times by Magura V5 sea drones that are operated by the country’s military intelligence services.
Explore more
From the February 17th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from The Economist explains
What do Greenlanders think of being bought?
Donald Trump’s desire for Greenland, and a shabby visit by his son, reignite the independence debate
What would Donald Trump gain from seizing the Panama Canal?
The president-elect claims the crossing is controlled by China and rips off American consumers
Where does Santa come from?
How a miracle-working Greek bishop, Dutch folk figure and early New York icon became the ubiquitous symbol of Christmas
Who are the main rebel groups in Syria?
They were united against the country’s dictator. Now they have little in common
Is RFK junior right to say America allows more toxins than the EU?
He is, but things are slowly beginning to change
What would it cost to kill coal?
The price of shutting down coal power, and what would be gained