Russian warships fire at Berdansk port
Ukrainian military seems to have attacked with drones and ballistic missiles
Russian troops retreat more than 35 km from the capital Kiiu
“Russia with big losses, shift to long-term defense strategy”
▲ Burning Russian warships
A large fire breaks out in the port of Verdansk in the Ukrainian Sea of Azov, where the Orsk, a large amphibious assault ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, is said to have docked on the 24th (local time). The Ukrainian Navy said it had sunk Orsk. 2022.3.25
Ukrainian Navy/AFP Yonhap News
A month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, reports have emerged that the Ukrainian army has succeeded in a military operation to put Russia on the defensive. The Ukrainian navy has sunk a large Russian amphibious assault ship, which was supposed to supply hundreds of troops and dozens of tanks, and is pushing back Russian forces by retaking the city around the capital Kiiu.
The Ukrainian military claimed on Facebook on the 24th (local time) that it had destroyed the Russian amphibious assault ship Orsk, which was anchored near the port city of Verdansk in the southern Azou Sea. The U.S. and British Defense Ministry also confirmed that the Ukrainian attack appeared to have been successful.
Through the port of Verdansk, Russia was to supply weapons and ammunition to its friendly forces suffering from a shortage of combat supplies. Earlier, Russian state media RT, etc. reported that the Orsk ship had arrived in Verdansk and reported that it could carry hundreds of troops, up to 20 tanks and 40 armored vehicles.
▲ Black smoke from a Russian warship
Black smoke rises from the port of Verdansk in the Ukrainian Sea of Azou, where the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s large amphibious assault ship Orsk is said to have docked on the 24th (local time). The Ukrainian Navy said it had sunk Orsk.
AP Yonhap News
According to social media videos, there was a big fire due to a series of explosions at the pier where Russian warships were anchored. As the Orsk sank, two additional ships were damaged and a 3000-ton fuel tank was also destroyed, setting fire to a nearby ammunition depot. The US Institute of War (ISW), citing foreign media reports, reported that Ukraine used a medium-altitude tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) TB2 and Torchika ballistic missile developed by Turkey’s Bayraktar in the attack.
ISW said the attack could deter Russian attempts to bolster military operations in waters south of Ukraine, including Mariupol and Kherson. The Russian military did not respond to the attack.
▲ Ukrainian guards
A Ukrainian soldier stands guard near a burning warehouse in the outskirts of Kiiu, the capital of Ukraine, on the 24th (local time).
According to CNN and the Associated Press, fierce battles are taking place every day in the capital, Kiiu. The Ukrainian army, which recaptured northeast of the capital, said that it had driven the Russians, which had been close to 25 km from the city center, 35 to 70 km away. It is reported that the two armies are fighting fiercely in cities around Kiiu, such as Irfin, Buka, and Hostomer. Irfin Mayor Oleksandr Markusin claimed that “80% of Irfin is controlled by Ukrainian forces,” but Russia is fighting back with rocket attacks.
On this day, Russian troops entered the center of southern Mariupol. Western media reported that the Russian military is trying to forcibly relocate about 6,000 residents of Mariupol to Russia.
▲ Unstoppable gunfire… A love that cannot be hidden
A mother, startled by the sound of shelling, lies on the side of the road with her son wrapped around him in Mariupol, a port city in southeastern Ukraine besieged by Russian troops, on the 23rd (local time). Mariupol, with a population of about 430,000, is estimated to have about 100,000 people left after the Russian invasion continued.
Mariupol Archyde.com Yonhap News
“Russia is looking for a way to bring the war to a long-term phase,” said Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, who led the Ukrainian delegation in the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. “We switched to a defensive strategy to reduce the number of casualties,” he said. “Russian military leaders are realizing that the troops and equipment currently deployed in Ukraine are not sufficient to sustain a temporary occupation,” he said.
Reporter Odalan