Russia accuses Ukraine of drone attacks on Black Sea navy base and Crimea

Image used for representational purpose. Pic/iStock

Russia accused Ukraine early Friday of attacking its Black Sea navy base in the port of Novorossiysk with sea drones, reported news agency AP.

Novorossiysk is just across the water from Crimea, where Russia's Ministry of Defense said it thwarted another attack by Ukraine overnight, taking down 13 drones.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said Russian ships patrolling the perimeter of the naval base destroyed two Ukrainian sea drones.

Footage published on Russian social media channels appeared to show a ship firing into the sea and a burning object exploding. Ukrainian agencies carried footage from social media channels they suggested showed a Russian ship listing to one side after the attack.

The Associated Press could not verify the videos. Ukrainian officials have not commented on the attack, in keeping with the country's security policy.

Minutes after confirming the attack on the Black Sea port, Russia's Ministry of Defence said it had also repelled another attack by Ukraine on Moscow-annexed Crimea. The defence ministry said air defence systems shot down 10 drones and it had electronically jammed another three.

Meanwhile, Russian shelling on Thursday damaged a landmark church in the city of Kherson that once held the remains of the renowned 18th-century commander who exerted Russian control through the southeast parts of modern Ukraine and annexed the Crimean Peninsula.

Emergency service said four of its workers were wounded in a second round of shelling as they fought the fire at St. Catherine's Cathedral. Four other people were wounded in the first shelling attack, which also hit a trolleybus. The church, dating from 1781, is one of the city's most notable buildings. It was the burial spot for Prince Grigory Potemkin, a favorite of Russian Empress Catherine the Great.

Russia has added Norway to its list of "unfriendly countries" for allegedly targeting Russian diplomats abroad. The order restricts the number of local staff at the Norwegian diplomatic mission in Russia to 27. In April, Norway expelled 15 Russian diplomats after accusing them of carrying out intelligence activities under diplomatic cover. Russia retaliated by expelling 10 Norwegian diplomats.

(Published with inputs from news agency AP)