The Admiral Makarov is said to have been struck by anti-ship missiles while it was in waters off the coast of Odessa. Rescue ships and aircraft have reportedly been sent to the area and are being tracked by US surveillance drones. “OSINTdefender”, an open source intelligence monitor, tweeted: “It’s seeming more and more likely that the claims about the Russian Frigate Admiral Makarov being stuck by Ukrainian Anti-Ship Missiles off the Coast of Odessa are true.
“Multiple rescue ships and aircraft are reportedly in the area with U.S surveillance drones keeping eyes on it.”
Social media user “UOI”, a war analyst, wrote: “Sources say the Russian frigate was hit by a Neptune missile and is on fire near Snake Island.”
Neither the Russian or Ukrainian officials have as yet officially confirmed that the Russian frigate was hit.
If the reports are confirmed, this would represent another humiliating blow for Vladimir Putin and his naval high command.
Last month, the flagship of the Black Sea, the Moskva, was sunk after being hit by Neptune missiles fired by the Ukrainian army.
The 409-foot Admiral Makarov is one of the most important ships at the disposal of the Russian Black Sea fleet.
Moreover, Ukraine is on high alert ahead of Victory Day on May 9. In the defense establishment the Ukrainians estimate that the Russians can not boast of significant achievements on the front, so there is an increased chance of increased shelling on Ukraine earlier this week. Beyond that, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zlansky even called on German Chancellor Olaf Schultz to come and visit Kiev on Victory Day.
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