Ukraine Update: Night Events
Ukraine: Russian warship destroyed in the Crimean port of Feodosia
According to Ukrainian Air Force, they have targeted a warship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the annexed Crimea with cruise missiles. The large landing ship “Novocherkassk” was hit in the port of the city of Feodosia on the Black Sea peninsula, as stated by the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleschtschuk, on Tuesday. Photos and videos of a big explosion were seen on social media. The authenticity of the footage and Oleschtschuk’s statements could not be independently verified at first.
The Crimea governor appointed by Moscow, Sergei Aksyonov, confirmed via Telegram in the night a “hostile attack” along with detonation and fire in the region of Feodosia. The area has been cordoned off and residents of some houses have to be relocated, he said. Aksyonov called on people to remain calm. According to Russian reports, a warship was “damaged” in the incident.
According to officially unconfirmed reports in social media, a drone-loaded ship was allegedly hit in the attack. Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration, said in Kyiv that there would be no more Russian Black Sea Fleet on Crimea in the future. Ukraine has repeatedly dealt heavy blows to Russian warships in attacks.
Moscow: Marinka captured – Kyiv denies
After months of fighting, Russia’s army has reportedly occupied the completely destroyed town of Marinka in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, according to their own statements. Marinka is now under Russian control, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Monday. However, the Ukrainian army rejected the claims. “The fight for Marinka continues,” said the military spokesman responsible for the front section, Oleksandr Shtupun, on television.
Ukrainian soldiers are still within the city limits, even though the city is completely destroyed, Shtupun said. The Russian claims could not be independently verified at first. Heavy fighting has been reported around Marinka, which had about 9,000 inhabitants before the start of the Russian war of aggression.
Selensky praises his military for shooting down Russian fighter jets
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised his own military for allegedly shooting down several Russian fighter jets. In the week before Christmas, a total of five enemy aircraft were shot down, Zelensky said in his evening video address. “This is really impressive!” Zelensky also warned Russian pilots that Ukrainian air defense would become even stronger in the future once the promised F-16 fighter jets from the West arrived.
On Christmas Eve, Kyiv reported the shooting down of two Russian fighter jets of the types Suchoi Su-34 and Su-30CM in the Donetsk region and over the Black Sea. Similar reports had already been made about three other Russian jets. However, this could not be independently verified. Nevertheless, Russian military bloggers had written about alleged shoot-downs.
New drone attacks on Ukrainian cities
The Russian military has conducted several attacks in regions.
During the night to Tuesday, the Ukraine was targeted with so-called kamikaze drones. Ukrainian sources reported numerous explosions attributed to the use of anti-aircraft defense. In addition to Mykolajiw and Kriwyj Rih in the southern part of the country, other regions in central Ukraine also reported drone infiltrations.
Missing Kremlin opponent Nawalny reappears – exiled to polar region
More than two weeks after the disappearance of Kremlin opponent Alexej Nawalny, he has resurfaced. His spokeswoman Kira Jarmysch announced on the X news service (formerly Twitter) that he had been transferred to penal colony IK-3 in Charp in the northern part of Russia, in the Autonomous Okrug of Jamal-Nenzen. A lawyer had seen him. There had been no trace of Nawalny, Putin’s sharpest critic, for 20 days. His team and lawyers had launched a search operation. The new penal colony is located more than 2000 kilometers away from Moscow.
What will be important on Tuesday
Heavy fighting continues in the eastern part of Ukraine, according to Kiev’s account, including in Marjinka in the Donetsk region.
