Russia claims to have destroyed Ukraine’s last remaining warship, Yury Olefirenko. It was the last standing warship of the Ukrainian Navy on the Port of Odesa, the largest Ukrainian seaport and one of the major ports in the Black Sea basin.
Overview
On Wednesday, Russia’s Defence Ministry stated that its forces destroyed Ukraine’s “last warship” in the port of Odesa two days ago during a missile strike.
According to Igor Konashenkov, the Defence Ministry’s spokesperson, “the Yuriy Olefirenko, the last warship of the Ukrainian navy, was destroyed at a warship mooring in the port of Odesa.” He said the ship was hit on 29 May by “high-precision weapons,” but revealed no further details.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation confirms that on May 29, as a result of an attack on the parking lot of warships in Odessa, the last warship of the Ukrainian Navy, Yuriy Olefirenko, was destroyed . pic.twitter.com/G6XuuXdriI
— Spriter (@Spriter99880) May 31, 2023
The Russian Defence Ministry also said that its forces pushed Ukrainian units out of positions near Krasnohorivka and Yasynuvata in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which Moscow annexed soon after the war began last February.
According to the ministry, “fierce fighting” continues to occur near Avdiivka, a large town between the two settlements, which was nearly torn to the ground during the initial months of fighting.
Regarding the warship Russia claims to have destroyed, there were rumours that the Ukrainians were using the Yuriy Olefirenko amphibious landing ship to make additional gains in the Kinburn Split after regaining Kherson.
Ukraine’s Response
Yuriy Olefirenko was named in honour of a Ukrainian marine who died in the War in Donbas, which started in 2014 in Eastern Ukraine, when separatists said to have been backed by Moscow seized government buildings in the region. Yuri Olefirenko was often referred to as Ukraine’s defendant in the Black Sea from 2014 until February 2022.
Oleh Chalyk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian navy, said he would not respond to any assertions made by Russia. The Ukrainian navy will not disclose any information about losses during the war, he added.
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) May 31, 2023
Russia says it destroyed Ukraine's 'last warship': https://t.co/itcaxIrQab pic.twitter.com/ZofjaxnDfh
The Ukrainian Navy’s spokesperson, Oleh Chalyk, said he would not comment on any claims made by Russia. He stated that the Ukrainian Navy would not reveal any information on casualties during the fight.
According to the Ukrainian military, a Russian drone strike overnight destroyed some infrastructure in Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa, which is critical for grain shipments. The military declined to comment on whether the damage had jeopardised grain exports.
The Ukrainian military’s southern command posted on Facebook, “A fire broke out in the port infrastructure of Odesa as a result of the hit. It was quickly extinguished. Information on the extent of the damage is being updated.”
The port of Odesa is a vital grain export base and an integral part of Turkey and the UN-mediated Black Sea grain deal between Russia and Ukraine.