Ukrainian sea drones have “shot down and sunk” a large Russian landing ship off Crimea, its military has claimed. 

“The Ukrainian Armed Forces, together with the Defence Ministry’s intelligence unit, destroyed the large landing ship Tsezar Kunikov. It was in Ukrainian territorial waters near Alupka at the time of the hit,” the military said on the Telegram.

Ukrainska Pravda reported the ship was “shot down and sunk”, publishing several videos showing a column of smoke over the sea off the southern coast of Crimea, as well as helicopters flying overhead.

Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko said the targeted ship took part in Russian military operations in Georgia in 2008.

“Russian warships confirm the destruction of a large amphibious ship in the Black Sea...Helicopters are circling above the explosion site,” Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko reported on Telegram.

The reported strike marks the second time in a month that Ukraine has used sea drones to sink a Russian ship, after it downed an Ivanovets in the Black Sea in late January.

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