Day 721 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Another Russian Warship Bites The Dust

Ukraine | February 14, 2024, Wednesday // 10:38|  views

Day 721 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

  • Ukraine announced that it had sunk another large Russian ship in the Black Sea
  • Massive Russian attack in Donetsk region, there are injured children
  • General Syrskyi: Ukraine switched to defensive operations
  • German politicians admit that far-right MPs may be spying for Russia
  • NATO defense ministers to discuss support for Ukraine and defense spending


Ukraine announced that it had sunk another large Russian ship in the Black Sea

In the Black Sea, the Russian large landing ship "Caesar Kunikov" was attacked. This was confirmed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported sources of "Ukrainska Pravda" and public media "Suspilne" in the GUR military intelligence.

The information initially appeared on Ukrainian and Russian channels on Telegram. The "Крымский ветер" channel published a video showing a vessel burning in the sea. Another clip shows helicopters flying low over the water.

"The armed forces of Ukraine together with units of the GUR MO (military intelligence) destroyed the large amphibious ship ‘Caesar Kunikov’", the army's announcement said. It is specified that at the time of the attack it was in the territorial waters of Ukraine near Alupka.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the shooting down of six drones over the Black Sea (along with two over the Belgorod region and one over the Voronezh region). "Крымский ветер" quoted local residents, according to whom explosions were heard at night in Yalta, Alupka and elsewhere.

The military intelligence also published footage of the attack, saying: "Magura" destroyed "Caesar" - they mean they used, Ukrainian-made Magura V5 marine drones, the development of which began in November 2022. It is noted that the implementation of the special operation became possible with the support of the United24 platform, which, on the initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, raises funds for the war in Ukraine.

Russia is yet to comment, but according to the Ministry of Defense, the Russian search and rescue operation was not successful.

The website of the Black Sea Fleet reports that "Caesar Kunikov" is a large amphibious assault ship with a crew of 87, carrying AK-725 artillery mounts, anti-aircraft guns, Grad-M rocket launchers and others.

"Ukrainska Pravda" notes that the hero of the Soviet Union, whose name bears the large landing ship, died on February 14, 1943.

This is at least the fifth ship hit since the start of the war.

On December 26, the Ukrainian military destroyed the large amphibious assault ship Novocherkassk in Fedosia (on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014), using cruise missiles, according to the air force commander.

On January 1, the GUR released a video it claimed documented the attack and sinking of the “Ivanovets” missile boat.

Massive Russian attack in Donetsk region, there are injured children

Massive Russian attack on the town of Selidovo in the Donetsk region. The attack was carried out in two waves.

Shortly before midnight, a residential building was affected, a fire engulfed 12 apartments. There are injured, among them children.

Around one after midnight - in the second wave, a wing of the local hospital was hit. Rescue operations continue.

President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that the aid of about 60 billion dollars for Kyiv voted in the US Senate will also receive approval in the House of Representatives.

Another meeting of the contact group for Ukraine begins today in Brussels.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian army is advancing in the area of Kupiansk and Lyman.

Last night, 9 drones were destroyed in the Black Sea region, Russian media write.

General Syrskyi: Ukraine switched to defensive operations

The situation on the battlefield is difficult. Ukraine switched from offensive to defensive operations. This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, in an interview with the German television channel ZDF, Ukrinform notes.

In his traditional video address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Gen. Syrskyi and the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov have visited all hot spots on the front.

The front line, and especially Avdiivka, Kupiansk and Lyman, require maximum attention, maximum support. Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi and Defense Minister Umerov are currently on the ground, at the front, throughout the day. Today they visited all the hot spots on the front line and reported on the situation. Existing issues are being resolved: manning of parts, reinforcement, command and control. There will be reinforcements with unmanned aircraft and means of conducting radio electronic warfare. Command posts will also be reinforced, Zelensky said.

In a post on Facebook, the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov announced that the priority at the moment is "improving the training of the military, equipping the brigades and ensuring the regular needs of weapons and equipment". Umerov indicated that he and Syrskyi had a "clear and meaningful conversation" with General Christopher Cavoli, the commander of NATO forces in Europe, and US envoy Lt. Gen. Antonio Aguto.

The two sides discussed Ukraine's need for more electronic warfare equipment to deal with Russian drones, as well as the importance of rotating front-line fighters, Umerov wrote, without elaborating.

Earlier, the Prime Minister of the country Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine has increased the production of drones a hundredfold. The Prime Minister stated that the goal is the development of our own defense industry based on innovative technologies. According to him, modern weapons to defeat the enemy are the key to the country's future victory.

“First of all, we are talking about the development of the Defense Technology Cluster, scaling up the production of the various categories of drones, means of radio-electronic warfare and other assets necessary for the front. The country made a real revolution in the regulation of the creation of drones. 20 laws and by-laws were passed, thanks to which production increased a hundredfold. Bureaucracy has been removed and there is real competition between 200 private companies in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles”, Shmyhal said.

German politicians admit that far-right MPs may be spying for Russia

German politicians have warned that MPs from the far-right Alternative for Germany party may be spying for Russia, DPA reported.

"For ‘AfG’, the example of Germany's change is autocratic Russia," said Konstantin von Notz, vice-chairman of "Alliance 90/The Greens". "For us, it should be a threat the fact that the proximity of the MPs from AfG to the dictatorships in Russia, China, Syria and North Korea is not only ideological," he added.

Members of the German parliament have the right to access classified information even without being subject to security checks, said von Notz, who chairs the Bundestag's control committee. This applies to both the defense committee and other committees and bodies in the Bundestag, "which also suggests possible espionage activities," he noted.

Roderich Kiesewetter, a lawmaker from the opposition Christian Democratic Union, said that the AfG was acting "as an appendage of Russia in Germany" and as an instrument of hybrid warfare. "We cannot rule out the possibility that lawmakers or their associates who have access to information affecting national security will export that information," Kiesewetter said.

In addition, there are signs that the Russian embassy in Germany is distributing information to the AfG, DPA notes. "In this regard, we can allow Russian espionage and it can be prevented or thwarted by protecting and vetting the intelligence services," Kieseweter added.

NATO defense ministers to discuss support for Ukraine and defense spending

Defense ministers of NATO member countries will meet today and tomorrow in Brussels to discuss military support for Ukraine, as well as their own commitments to spend 2% of their GDP on defense, DPA reported.

An extended meeting is planned today, in which NATO ministers and representatives of other allied countries supporting Ukraine will take part. The event will be coordinated by the United States. A regular ministerial meeting of the alliance will be held tomorrow. Discussions at NATO headquarters in Brussels were overshadowed by former US President Donald Trump, who said at a campaign rally on Saturday that he would "encourage" Russia to "do what it wants" with NATO countries that do not spend enough on defense.

Member countries have agreed to spend 2% of GDP on defense, but only a few have met this target. Following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, member states, notably Germany, reaffirmed their commitments. Germany's Bundestag approved a national budget allocating 2% of GDP to defense in 2024.

Talks on Thursday aim to get other member states to reach that figure. Also on the agenda is Sweden's accession to NATO, which has been delayed by the fact that the Hungarian parliament has not yet ratified the decision.

Novinite remains the sole Bulgarian media outlet consistently delivering daily updates and key insights concerning the conflict. Our reporting commenced on the first day, 24th February 2022, and will persist until the conflict's resolution. Despite challenges, our independent journalism remains committed to offering precise, current news to our audience. We appreciate your ongoing support in staying informed! #stayinformed #WarInUkraine

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Tags: Ukraine, Russia, Zelensky, ship

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