Ukrainian missiles hit Russian landing ship in Crimea

Dec. 26 (UPI) -- The Ukrainian military said it struck the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk with a missile in the Crimean port of Feodosia early Tuesday inflicting what was believed heavy damage.

Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk implied on social media that the vessel was destroyed, while Russian state-run media suggested that it sustained survivable damage.

"And Russia's fleet is getting smaller and smaller," Oleshchuk said on Telegram. "This time, following the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser 'Moskva', a large landing ship 'Novocherkassk' is on its way."

Russian authorities told state-run news agency TASS that one person was killed and two people sustained wounds in the Ukrainian strike on the Novocherkassk, a large amphibious assault landing ship, suffered "damage."

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the blast from the attack shattered windows in six buildings, including the train station.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said the Russian vessel had been hit by more than one cruise missile. He said Ukraine has Storm Shadow and Scalp missiles from Britain and France that give it the ability to strike inside Crimea.

Storm Shadow missiles were deployed in September to strike the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.

Russia took Crimea by force from Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had vowed that his country would take Crimea back in its current conflict with Moscow.