Moscow claims that overnight Sunday-Monday, “in the northwestern part of the Black Sea […], the naval aviation of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed four American-made Willard Sea Force fast military launches. (carrying) landing parties of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram. According to the ministry, the Ukrainian boats were traveling in the direction of Cape Tarkhankut, located in the west of the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Moscow also assured on Monday that it shot down a Ukrainian drone off Crimea as well as a second device in the Russian region of Kursk, bordering Ukraine. The Russian defense said on Wednesday that it had destroyed four military boats in kyiv which carried a total of up to 50 members of the special forces, without providing further information.
On August 24, Ukraine was pleased to have carried out a rare commando operation in the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014, and to have hoisted the national flag there. Ukrainian special forces units had come from the sea, landing in the west of the peninsula, before leaving “without losses” according to Ukrainian military intelligence.
Russia also announced on August 22 that it had “destroyed” a launch carrying Ukrainian soldiers near Serpents’ Island in the Black Sea, after claiming that of a reconnaissance vessel the same day.
