The UK Defence Secretary has claimed Russia's Black Sea naval fleet is now "functionally inactive" following a massive Ukrainian missile strike on the main Russian controlled port of Sevastopol overnight.
Security sources have told GB News that UK supplied Storm Shadow missiles were used in the attack, which targeted two naval vessels and a major military communications centre.
The attack was the biggest missile strike to date on the Russian controlled Crimean port.
Commenting after the attack, Grant Shapps said: "Putin's continued illegal occupation of Ukraine is exacting a massive cost on Russia's Black Sea Fleet which is now functionally inactive."
The attack was the biggest missile strike to date on the Russian controlled Crimean port
Reuters
The Defence Secretary claimed Moscow's naval presence in the area was largely ineffectual.
"Russia has sailed the Black Sea since 1783 but is now forced to constrain its fleet to port. And even there Putin's ships are sinking!
“This is an historic moment for Ukraine and a further shift in Black Sea dynamics.
"After years of illegal Russian control over Crimea, the destruction of these key Russian vessels marks a significant milestone.
"In plain English, it means that Putin can no longer exercise safely in the Black Sea, even though the Russian Fleet has operated there since 1783.
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The Russian navy landing ship Azov was targeted in the attack
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"The world cannot afford for Ukraine to lose this war and our support against Russia’s invading forces will remain undimmed."
A video posted to a local Telegram channel showed a series of large explosions in the port city, sending large fireballs and thick black smoke into the night sky.
Ukraine's defence forces said the vessels targeted and struck were the Russian navy landing ships, the Yamal and the Azov.
Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said: "The sky and the sea are the same colour! I thank the pilots and navy for their successful combat work. Crimea is ours. To the Victory together!"
The attack also struck the main communications hub for the Black Sea fleet.
Reports suggest three Storm Shadow missiles targeted the crucial installation.
The Russian navy landing ship Yamal was targeted in the attack
Reuters
There has been no official comment from Russian defence officials, although Sevastopol's Russian appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev acknowledged the strikes amounted to the "most massive attack in recent times."
Security sources say the latest strikes demonstrate the real value of sophisticated western missile systems.
The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to supply Kyiv with Storm Shadow and other longer range missile systems in recent months.
A source told GB News: "These sophisticated missile systems are vital to the Ukrainian war effort. They're making the difference on the battlefield on a daily basis.
"But Ukraine has nowhere near enough of this lethal technology. Western powers must step up their efforts to supply more of these weapons, if the Ukrainians are stand any chance of prevailing in this conflict."
The attack on Sevastopol is part of a broader escalation in the region, with Russia launching a third massive missile assault on Ukraine in just four days.