2022-2024 Russo-Ukrainian War

[Albany Rifles]

Ship hits mine in Black Sea corridor

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ys-2023-12-28/

Bulk carrier hits mine in Black Sea, two people injured, Ukraine says

Reuters
December 28, 20231:07 PM EST

Updated an hour ago







[1/4]A view shows a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, which as reported by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine on Thursday, was headed to a River Danube port to load grain and has hit a mine in the Black Sea, in Odesa region, Ukraine in this handout picture released December 28, 2023. Press servicee

Dec 28 (Reuters) - A Panama-flagged bulk carrier that was heading to the River Danube port to load grain hit a Russian mine in the Black Sea, injuring two crew members, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.

The incident that took place on Wednesday was the latest instance of a civilian vessel hitting an explosive in the Black Sea. Kyiv has said increased Russian attacks on shipping and port infrastructure are to blame.


Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A shipping source speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters the Greek-operated VYSSOS was the vessel that had been hit. The vessel's Athens-based manager, which was listed in databases as Nava Shipping, could not be immediately located for comment.

"A Panama-flagged civilian vessel was blown up on an enemy sea mine in the Black Sea ... The vessel lost its course and control, and a fire broke out on the upper deck," Ukraine's southern military command said on Telegram.


A captain and a sailor, an Egyptian citizen, were injured, and the latter was taken to hospital in the city of Izmail, the head of the Odesa regional prosecutor's office told a briefing.

He said the incident happened early on Wednesday at a river mouth. The vessel stopped updating its position, according to the ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic.

It was heading to Izmail, the British maritime security company Ambrey told Reuters. The mine hit its stern, and detonation caused equipment and machinery failure.


There were 18 crew members onboard, 13 Egyptians, three Ukrainians, and two Turkish citizens.

Ukraine says Moscow has increased attacks on Ukraine's port infrastructure since mid-July, when it quit a U.N.-brokered deal that allowed safe passage of Ukrainian grain shipments via the Black Sea.

Kyiv since has established an alternative route, which hugs the western shores of the Black Sea. It said Russian forces have been repeatedly dropping explosive devices in its vicinity.

Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Jonathan Saul, Editing by William Maclean, Angus MacSwan, Christina Fincher and Barbara Lewis

[tbm3fan]

Bless her!

I liked the part where she said our people just want to eat, sleep, drink vodka, and have a car. Scum!

I remember in 1972 my contemporaries just wanted to eat, smoke dope, get laid, and have a car. Pot heads!

I was a serious 19 year old with a serious job, outside of college, so all I had was the first and last.

[Ironduke]

Before and after satellite photos of the Novocherkassk from Maxar:

re: Tophatter's post about scorching/damage to buildings, this looks to be more apparent in the satellite photo.

[Bigfella]

Oh dear. That will leave a stain.

[Monash]

I'm actually curios what effect knocking out all the cranes in the Port of Sevastopol would have on Russian throughput.

[TopHatter]

Before and after satellite photos of the Novocherkassk from Maxar:

re: Tophatter's post about scorching/damage to buildings, this looks to be more apparent in the satellite photo.

Sweet fancy Moses...that one long narrow building alone got itself a new paint job.

[tbm3fan]

As expected the Russians came out swinging once again when one of their assets is destroyed. Of course it was against civilians which I find a little ironic. Lots of crying over the casualties in Gaza but no crying over the intentional targeting of civilians in Ukraine.

__________________________________________________ ___________

Russia fires 122 missiles and 36 drones in what Ukraine calls the biggest aerial barrage of the war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched 122 missiles and dozens of drones against Ukrainian targets, officials said Friday, killing at least 27 civilians across the country in what an air force official called the biggest aerial barrage of the war.

At least 144 people were injured and an unknown number were buried under rubble during the roughly 18-hour onslaught, Ukrainian officials said. A maternity hospital, apartment blocks and schools were among the buildings reported damaged across Ukraine.

The Ukrainian air force intercepted most of the ballistic and cruise missiles and the Shahed-type drones overnight, said Ukraine’s military chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Western officials and analysts had recently warned that Russia limited its cruise missile strikes for months in an apparent effort to build up stockpiles for massive strikes during the winter, hoping to break the Ukrainians’ spirit.

The result was “the most massive aerial attack” since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his official Telegram channel. It topped the previous biggest assault, in November 2022 when Russia launched 96 missiles, and this year’s biggest, with 81 missiles on March 9, according to air force records.

Fighting along the front line is largely bogged down by winter weather after Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive failed to make a significant breakthrough along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) line of contact.

Ukrainian officials have urged the country’s Western allies to provide it with more air defenses. Their appeals have come as signs of war fatigue strain efforts to keep support in place.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the attack should stir the world to further action in support of Ukraine.

“These widespread attacks on Ukraine’s cities show (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will stop at nothing to achieve his aim of eradicating freedom and democracy,” Sunak said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. “We must continue to stand with Ukraine — for as long as it takes.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the scale of the attack should wake people up to Ukraine’s continuing needs.

“Today, millions of Ukrainians awoke to the loud sound of explosions,” he wrote on X. “I wish those sounds of explosions in Ukraine could be heard all around the world. In all major capitals, headquarters, and parliaments, which are currently debating further support for Ukraine.”

In Boyarka, near the capital, Kyiv, the debris of a shot-down drone fell on a home and started a fire. Andrii Korobka, 47, said his mother was sleeping next to the room where the wreckage landed and was taken to hospital suffering from shock.


https://apnews.com/article/russia-uk...3a6a677f17070c

[Ironduke]

Same mentality as the guy who has trouble with the boss at work, comes home and beats the wife and kids.

[Monash]

Before and after satellite photos of the Novocherkassk from Maxar:

re: Tophatter's post about scorching/damage to buildings, this looks to be more apparent in the satellite photo.

It may just be me but does it look like the vessel moored in front of the Novocherkassk has also taken damage. For that matter I'd be curious about the chances that some of the smaller naval vessels moored nearby have also taken blast/shrapnel damage as well. Any ideas?

[Ironduke]

Ship hits mine in Black Sea corridor

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ys-2023-12-28/

Was the mine in international waters? Any reason why Romania or Bulgaria couldn't sweep mines in international waters?

[Ironduke]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67839340

Poland says Russian missile entered airspace then went into Ukraine

Poland's armed forces chief believes a Russian missile entered Poland for almost three minutes and then turned back into Ukrainian airspace.

Gen Wieslaw Kukula said the missile travelled about 40km (25 miles) into Polish airspace early on Friday.

The alert coincided with what Ukraine has called Russia's biggest day of air strikes since its war began.

President Andrzej Duda convened an emergency security meeting after the object was picked up on radar.

About 200 police officers have been conducting a search of the area where the object was detected in case the missile landed on Polish territory.

Poland is a member of the Nato alliance, and Polish and Allied aircraft were scrambled in response to the incident at around 07:00 (06:00 GMT) on Friday. There have been no reports of an explosion.

Operational Command spokesman Lt Col Jacek Goryszewski said an unidentified object had entered Poland from Ukraine near the town of Zamosc, in the Lublin region of south-eastern Poland, not far from the border.

He told private broadcaster TVN24 the event may be linked with Russia's missile and drone attack against some of Ukraine's biggest cities.

[Officer of Engineers]

Was the mine in international waters? Any reason why Romania or Bulgaria couldn't sweep mines in international waters?

Main reason is no one wants to get stuck fighting someone else's war. I'm sure Kiev would love Romania or Bulgaria to clear the sea lanes for Ukrainian cargo ships and would offer patrols to keep Russian ships at bay while Ukrainian grain can get to EU markets.

Legally, there's nothing stopping Romania and Bulgaria from doing exactly just that just as American destroyers protected American LL shipments to WWII Great Britain. Except it would be very easy to get into a shooting war with Russia.

[Ironduke]

Clear sea lanes and the ability of cargo ships to come and go from ports like Odessa would actually help keep Ukrainian grain off of EU markets and get it onto African and Middle Eastern markets.

With regards to Romania and Bulgaria, the only reason I mention them is they're the only pro-Ukrainian NATO states with access to the Black Sea. Goes without saying, all other NATO states besides Turkey no longer have access to the Black Sea.

The Russians aren't exactly deploying naval assets or aviation to the western Black Sea anymore. At least not anywhere near the Ukrainian coast. Except for missiles, their ability to strike vessels in international waters there seems rather constrained. I don't think we would be seeing the Russian navy facing down minesweepers if they were deployed, nor Russian fighter-bombers in this area. So opportunities for brinksmanship and escalatory tactics, naval and aerial harassment seem out of the question, Russia would be left just the option to push a button that fires a missile in a deliberate, premeditated manner.

Not that I think Romania or Bulgaria will be pursuing such measures anytime soon, nor do I think they will be encouraged to by other NATO members.

[Amled]

https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-update.../live-67857022

If there were a prize given for spouting unmitigated gall, then Russia would be runaway winner!!!
Ukraine, with a missile strike causes heavy damage to Russian military ship in a harbor on occupied Crimea.
Russia; as per their custom, retaliate against civilian targets. They launch an all-out aerial attack against Ukrainian cities.
The Ukrainians replied against Russian cities.
This is where the unmitigated gall comes in…the Russians call foul!!!
They even intend to call a special meeting of the UN Security Council to air their outrage.
It should be very interesting seeing, and hearing them attempt to “square the circle”,
and explain how their attacks on Ukrainian cities were righteous, while those of the Ukrainian weren’t!!!

[Monash]

It may just be me but does it look like the vessel moored in front of the Novocherkassk has taken damage as well. For that matter I'd be curious about the chances that some of the smaller naval vessels moored nearby have also taken blast/shrapnel damage as well. Any ideas?

Staying on this topic for a mo, Also look at the bottom center of the harbor in the before and after photos. It definitely looks like another, smaller naval vessel was sunk with possible damage to a third vessel - the one moored alongside the red colored barge to the right of this second, sunken ship. (Albeit this last claim looks much harder to confirm.) It would be interesting to see how many of the vessels tied up in port before the Novocherkassk went up stay there.