Ukrainian Military Says Russian Patrol Boats Hit in Black Sea Drone Strikes
The Ukrainian military said on May 2 that it used a Bayraktar combat drone to destroy two Russian military patrol boats near Snake Island, off the southeast coast of Odesa Oblast.
Video published by the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi, shows a drone software interface with coordinates that correspond to a location south of Zmiinyi Island, known internationally as Snake Island, in the Black Sea. The drone is seen hovering over and striking two boats, which the Ukrainian defense forces said were Russian Raptor-class patrol boats. The Bayraktar drone is seen in a clip cut between the two strikes.
The Russian Navy did not immediately confirm the report that two of its ships were hit. The condition of the crew and the boats was unknown.
Snake Island is where Ukrainian soldiers reportedly told a Russian warship crew to go “f***” themselves early in the war, a story that was commemorated by a postage stamp released in April.
The Ukrainian Postal Service said on April 18 that of the one million copies of the Snake Island stamp issued, half a million had been sold after only five days, with an envelope with the stamp selling for $1,000 on Ebay.
The Turkish Bayraktar drone has been highly effective for Ukraine against Russian armored vehicles and military hardware, even inspiring a viral folk song. Credit: Armed Forces of Ukraine via Storyful
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