The targeting of the Russian ship “Ivan Khors” in the Black Sea reminds of a long series of attacks that hit Russian military sites, although most of them were concentrated in the Crimea, where the Russian Black Sea Fleet is based.
Earlier Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that the ship was unsuccessfully attacked by three Ukrainian drone boats in the Black Sea, as it approached the Bosphorus Strait.
Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the warship was protecting the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines – which transport gas from Russia to Turkey partly through the Black Sea – and that it continued to perform its duties after the attack. He confirmed the destruction of all the drone boats that attacked the ship 140 km northeast of the Bosphorus.
This attack is reminiscent of similar operations that targeted military installations and sites, either deep inside or outside Russian territory, since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.
The following are the most prominent of these attacks:
* Sevastopol portThis main port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been repeatedly attacked by swarms of explosive-laden drones.
The last of these attacks was at the end of last April, and caused severe damage, which led to the burning of four oil tanks.
* Saki Air Base: Last August, drones attacked the Russian “Saki” air base, where several explosions rocked the base due to an explosion of ammunition depots, but the Ukrainian army confirmed that it was the one who targeted the base, which led to the destruction of ten Russian warplanes “Su-24” and “” Su-30″.
This base is located on the western coast of Crimea, and is a major center used by Russian forces to launch attacks against Ukraine.
* Crimea BridgeAt the beginning of last October, a huge explosion rocked Crimea, and it later became clear that the target was the “Crimean Bridge” that connects the peninsula with Russia. It is described as one of President Vladimir Putin’s greatest achievements in the peninsula and one of the most important military supply routes for Russian forces.
* Angles Air Force BaseMilitary bases deep in Russian territory were not immune to attacks, including the attack by a drone on the “Angels” air base in Saratov province, which is the main base for Russian strategic bombers and is located 500 km east of the border with Ukraine.