Ukraine’s Navy comments on sinking of Russian warship off Crimea coast

This was stated by the spokesman for Ukraine’s Naval Forces, Dmytro Pletenchuk, who spoke with Radio Svoboda, Ukrinform reports.

"This ship guarded our Kerch Strait, in our territorial waters," he said.

Pletenchuk added that Ukraine had shut down this part of the sea for navigation.

"Lat year, we warned them they shouldn’t be around there," said the spokesman.

The official also recalled that the Sergei Kotov patrol ship had previously sustained combat damage.

Pletenchuk noted that such vessels can perform a variety of tasks, protecting bases and waters, as well as controlling civil navigation.

The official also reported on the national telethon that the Russians ran a search and rescue operation in the immediate aftermath of the strike so some crew members were definitely pulled out of the water and evacuated, he believes.

"But given that these events unfolded in the night hours, given that the low water temperature, and given the fire damage the vessel sustained, I can’t say that most of the crew survived," said the spokesman.

"This is being verified. It is one of the most difficult cases to verify. Of course, the enemy conceals casualties. And, by the way, they were also supposed to have a helicopter on board. This is the case where you ‘get two for the price of one’ so why pay more?" said Dmytro Pletenchuk.

As reported, Ukraine’s defense intelligence confirmed that in the early hours of Tuesday, March 5, its Group 13 special unit employed maritime drones to attack the Russian Black Sea fleet’s Sergei Kotov patrol boat off the coast of Crimea. The Russians are believed to have had plans to put an anti-aircraft missile system on board the vessel, said intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov.