Ukrainian forces have sunk a Russian attack submarine, a B-237 Rostov-na-Donu, and destroyed Russian air defense systems on occupied Crimea, according to Ukraine's army, as reported by AFP.
The submarine was reportedly in port in Sevastopol. It was hit in a missile attack on Friday and sank immediately, according to a statement from the Ukrainian military's general staff.
The submarine was one of four used by the Russian Black Sea Fleet and had the capacity to carry Russian sea-launched cruise missiles of the Kalibr type, writes BBC. It was likely damaged in an earlier Ukrainian attack but was repaired last autumn, according to British intelligence.
The submarine's value is estimated by Ukraine to be over 3 billion Swedish kronor, reports Kyiv Independent.
The attack shows that there is "no safe place for the Russian fleet in Ukrainian territorial waters in the Black Sea", says the general staff in a statement.
Hit Russian airbase
Ukraine has increased its attacks on Russia in recent months. During the night to Saturday, an oil depot in the Russian border region of Belgorod was attacked, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on Telegram.
A military airfield in Russia was also attacked, according to the Ukrainian military.
"Drones from Ukraine's security service visited the airbase Morozovsk in the Rostov region", the source says, adding that an ammunition depot was hit.
Russian authorities have not commented on the reports about Morozovsk, but the region's governor Vasily Golubev announced on Telegram that a state of emergency has been declared.
Praised by Zelenskyj
Russia has fired over 600 air bombs against Ukraine in the past week, according to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj. Five people are reported to have been killed in Russian drone attacks on Saturday.
Zelenskyj praises the country's soldiers for their successful attacks on Russian infrastructure.
Every attack that correctly responds to Russian bombs, which destroy Russian logistics, Russian bases, making it harder for the occupiers to stay in our country – every such attack brings us closer to a just end to the war, he said in his evening address.