BURNED OUT
Dramatic first satellite pics show Putin’s prized £250million submarine & warship blown up by Storm Shadow missiles
NEWLY released satellite photos show the smouldering wreckage of two prized Russian naval assets after a devastating strike from Ukraine.
Yesterday, Kyiv's forces unleashed a barrage of ten cruise missiles along with kamikaze drones in a huge hit that rocked Putin's forces.
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New dramatic photos shared on Twitter show the catastrophic damage inflicted on the landing ship "Minsk" and the Kilo-class "Rostov-on-Don" attack submarine.
Prior to the early morning attack, both vessels were allegedly awaiting repairs in a dry dock.
After the crippling strike, satellite imagery showed the crumbling, charred remains of the formerly great landing ship and submarine.
Another photo showed mangled metal from the Minsk as smoke continued to rise from the remains.
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The 367ft long Minsk and diesel-electric Rostov-on-Don are believed to have been hit by a Storm Shadow missile supplied to Kyiv by Britain and France.
Photos showed the moment of the devastating strike, as sparks and fire shot up in the night sky.
Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles can travel up to 600mph and blast targets up to 350 miles away.
Yesterday, the head of Ukraine's air force Mykola Oleshchuk thanked his pilots for their "excellent combat work" in destroying the ship and submarine - a major win for Ukraine.
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Pro-Moscow Telegram channel Grey Zone said the Russian defence ministry had vowed to repair both vessels.
They said: “Judging even by this photo, restoration will take a fairly long period and in the foreseeable future, its participation in this military conflict is probably not expected."
The Institute for the Study of War said the missile attack could have "reverberating impacts" on Moscow's military.
They said: "The apparent destruction of the two vessels will likely render the dry dock inoperable until Russian forces can clear the debris, which may take a significant amount of time.
"...Any damage to one of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's main repair facilities in occupied Crimea will likely have reverberating impacts in the event of further Ukrainian strikes on Russian naval assets."
It comes as early today, Crimea was rocked yet again by an onslaught of kamikaze drone strikes.
Dramatic footage showed a massive explosion in Yevpatoria in Russian-occupied Crimea with thick black smoke billowing in the sky.
The traffic across the Crimea Bridge connecting with mainland Russia has been suspended, Russian officials said on Telegram.
"Vehicle traffic on the Crimea Bridge is temporarily blocked," the post by the Russian Information Center said.
The Russian-held city of Yevpatoria, where multiple Russian military units are based, was previously hit last month.
Meanwhile, a Russian navy ship was hit by five Ukrainian drones in the Black Sea, the country's state media reported.
Ukrainian forces formerly inflicted damage on Russian landing ships Saratov, Novocherkassk, and Caesar Kunikov.
It is the latest blow to embattled Putin's war effort - and was a major embarrassment for Vlad as he sat down with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un some 5,500 miles away.
The attacks came as Putin and Kim Jong-Un shook hands as they met at a space base for weapons talks.
The North Korean leader arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome on his armoured train on Wednesday.
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Kim told Putin that he was sure that the Russian army and people would triumph against "evil" in a two-hour meeting.
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