Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv destroys Black Sea ship as Putin’s troops advance along ‘entire frontline’

As the radio crackles with enemy communications that are hard to decipher, one Russian command rings out clear: “Brew five Chinese tea bags on 38 orange.”

A Ukrainian soldier known on the battlefield as Mikhass is able to quickly decode the gibberish. It means: Prepare five Beijing-made artillery shells and fire them on a specific Ukrainian position in the Serebryansky Forest, which forms the front line in the country’s restive northeast.

Footage published by Ukraine’s military intelligence services has shown the moment multiple Ukrainian naval drones struck a Russian warship in the early hours of this morning.

The Kremlin on Wednesday has declined to comment on a statement by the Ukrainian military that its forces had sunk the Russian Navy’s Tsezar Kunikov landing ship close to the Russian-controlled Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea.

Russia’s air defence systems destroyed nine Ukraine-launched drones over Russia’s Belgorod and Voronezh regions, as well as over the Black Sea, RIA state news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Russian defence ministry.

Two of the drones were downed over the Belgorod region and one over the Voronezh region, RIA reported. Both regions, in Russia’s southwest, border Ukraine. Six drones were destroyed over the Black Sea.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said on social media that one woman was hospitalised with injuries as a result of the attack.

There was no information from Gladkov or the Russian defence ministry on potential damage.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports. There was no immediate response from Ukraine about the attacks.

Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in strikes on each other’s territories. Both sides say their air attacks, often away from the front line, have a goal to destroy critical energy, military and transport infrastructure.

Ukrainian forces destroyed the Russian Navy’s Tsezar Kunikov large landing ship off the occupied peninsula of Crimea in the Black Sea on Wednesday, Kyiv’s military said.

“The Ukrainian Armed Forces, together with the Defence Ministry’s intelligence unit, destroyed the Tsezar Kunikov large landing ship. It was in Ukrainian territorial waters near Alupka at the time of the hit,” the military said on the Telegram messaging app.

There was no immediate comment from Russia, which said earlier that it had destroyed six drones in the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian military intelligence agency said the Russian warship had been attacked with naval drones.

Ukraine has used uncrewed navy drones packed with explosives to attack Russian warships to try to drive them out of the western parts of the Black Sea, making it possible to open a shipping corridor along a traditionally key export route.

In December, Ukrainian cruise missiles struck another large Russian landing warship in Crimea.

Ukrainian sea drones hit and damaged a large Russian landing ship off occupied Crimea, Ukrainska Pravda, a major Ukrainian media outlet, reported on Wednesday.

The news outlet published several videos showing a column of smoke over the sea off the southern coast of Crimea, as well as helicopters flying over the sea.

Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko said the targeted ship was Tsezar Kunikov, which took part in Russian military operations in Georgia in 2008.

Reuters could not independently verify the account and Ukrainian military intelligence was unavailable for comment.

In December, Ukrainian cruise missiles struck a large Russian landing warship in Crimea that killed at least one person.

Kyiv’s war with Russia must end with Ukraine securing its borders and all other options “won’t be considered”, Ukraine’s top general said.

When asked why he hopes that Ukraine can soon end the conflict, Oleksandr Syrskyi told German TV: “This is based on the fact that we must end it reaching our borders.

“This is the first thing. Because other options are not considered. Because we simply have no other way out. And this means that everyone, the whole society must rally around the common cause – victory.”