Russian-Ukrainian Conflict Escalates with Strikes on Warships and Cultural Institutions

Ukraine has successfully struck a brand-new Russian warship in Crimea, rendering it likely inoperable for the foreseeable future. This is the latest in a series of successful hits by Ukraine on Russian warships, as they aim to disrupt Russia's presence in the Black Sea and make the occupied Crimean peninsula untenable. The attack on the Russian warship, the Askold Project 22800 Karakurt-class corvette, was conducted using Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles, which Ukraine has been employing with great effect. Ukraine has also utilized unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), naval drone boats packed with explosives, to target Russian ships and key transport vessels. These strikes have been part of Ukraine's interdiction campaign against Russian military infrastructure in occupied Crimea since June 2023.