The image shows the aftermath of the attack, with the Russian vessel destroyed while moored alongside a pier. Ukrainian naval officials said the satellite photo verifies the success of the operation, News.Az reports, citing RBC-Ukraine.
“The satellite image confirms the destruction of the Russian border patrol ship Izumrud at its berth. We continue to reduce the Russian aggressor’s capabilities at sea,” the Ukrainian Navy said in a statement.
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According to Ukraine’s military, the vessel belonged to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) Border Guard Service and was struck by a Ukrainian Sargan-3000 uncrewed surface vessel (USV). Officials said the attack caused the ship to sink and resulted in casualties among its crew.
Photo: Satellite image of the destroyed Russian border patrol ship Izumrud moored alongside a pier (t.me/ukrainian_navy)
Russia has not publicly commented on Ukraine’s claims, and Reuters could not independently verify the reported destruction of the vessel or the casualty figures.
The Izumrud is known in Ukraine for its role in the November 2018 Kerch Strait incident, when Russian forces seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and captured 24 Ukrainian sailors after opening fire during the confrontation.
The reported strike is the latest in a series of Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian naval assets in the Black Sea, where Kyiv has increasingly relied on domestically developed sea drones to challenge Russia’s maritime operations despite having a much smaller conventional navy.
