Vladimir Putin’s army was left reeling after Ukraine inflicted another major blow on its forces in a series of devastating attacks.
Kyiv’s generals have relentlessly targeted Russian naval ships in and around Crimea, which is home to Putin’s Black Sea Fleet.
The once mighty fleet has been reduced to a former shadow of itself, losing around a third of its ships.
Zelensky’s army have also sought to wipe out vessels used to transport military equipment and supplies from the Russian mainland to the illegally annexed peninsula.
In a meticulously planned strike, Ukraine’s army destroyed on Tuesday a ferry in the Kavkaz port.
Located in southern Russia, ships use the port to cross the Kerch Strait between Russia and eastern Crimea.
The “Slavyanin” ferry was attacked by a drone and burst into flames after it took a direct hit.
One person is reported to have died in the attack, while several others were injured, according to the Krasnodar governor Veniamin Kondratyev.
Ukraine’s army said the ferry was used to transport essential military supplies to Putin’s army in Crimea.
In a statement, they said: “Today, the grouping of forces and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with units of other components of the Defence Forces, in the ‘Kavkaz’ port caused significant damage to the enemy ferry ‘Slavyanin’.
“The occupiers used this steam to transport rail cars, cars and containers for military purposes. “
“Slavyanin is the third and last railway ferry that Russia had in the mentioned region.
“We continue to destroy the enemy, his equipment and military infrastructure.”
Ukrainian forces shot down an SU-25 fighter jet as it tried to attack their positions in a fierce battle at the front.
Anti-aircraft gunners from the 100th Mechanised Brigade launched a surface-to-air missile which locked onto one of the two enemy jets.
Video images captured the moment the missile hit the jet, forcing it to crash in a field. It was the second such fighter plane the brigade has shot down this month.
