One month after the start of the war, the Ukrainians are showing themselves to be unwaveringly defensive – and are reporting a notable success: As the Ukrainian Navy reported on Thursday morning, it is said to have succeeded in destroying a huge Russian ship.
The DropShip, identified as the “Orsk”, a 113-metre-long Russian Alligator-class armored carrier, is said to have suffered a “direct hit” and was completely destroyed. This blow is particularly pleasing for the Ukrainians because the “Orsk” was anchored in the conquered port of Berdyansk in southern Ukraine.
Several photos and videos of the attack on the Orsk show meter-high flames and thick black smoke billowing over the harbor in the early hours of the morning. Just three days before this successful hit against Putin’s troops, Russian state media had filmed the Orsk in port as Russian soldiers unloaded armored vehicles intended for reinforcements. These should reinforce the Russian troops in nearby Mariupol.
However, the Russian propaganda video apparently had exactly the opposite effect: it is speculated that Ukraine used the video material to determine the exact location of the ship and to attack it in a targeted manner.
The attack on the Orsk has now been officially confirmed.