A Russian “parade boat” used by Vladimir Putin to inspect naval fleets has been destroyed, Ukraine’s armed forces has claimed.
The Raptor-class patrol vessel was targeted by a laser-guided bomb dropped from a Ukraine-operated Bayraktar TB2 drone near Snake Island in the Black Sea on 8 May, the Ukrainian ministry of defence said.
The Russian leader has used such a boat when carrying out fleet inspections in Sevastopol and St Petersburg. It has also been used for military exercises and speeches by the president.
Similar attacks were reported by Ukraine’s armed forces in recent days including the destruction of a Serna-class landing craft by a TB2.
The Ukrainian military released a video on Sunday of a boat burning after being fired upon by the a drone.
“Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 destroyed another Russian ship. This time the landing craft of the ‘Serna’ project. The traditional parade of the Russian Black Sea fleet on May 9 this year will be held near Snake Island - at the bottom of the sea,” the defence ministry tweeted.
The footage before Russia’s Victory Day parade celebrations, in which Mr Putin claimed his troops were fighting to defend their country against Nato and Ukrainian Nazis.
The Ukraine Now Telegram channel reported: “We received information that one of the destroyed boats of the Raptor type in the Snake Island area was Putin's parade boat.”
The vessel, reportedly destroyed on Sunday, is “distinguished by the white colour of its hull,” it said.
The Kremlin leader's vessel is a “specially equipped parade boat with tail number 001,” said the report.
Snake Island became renowned early in the conflict for the response of Ukrainian coast guards who told naval ships to “go f*** yourself” after being invited to surrender.
Last week Russia’s Admiral Makarov warship has been hit by Ukrainian missiles and burst into flames, according to Kyiv officials.
The frigate would be Russia’s latest high-profile naval loss in a troubled campaign, coming after reports that US intelligence helped Ukraine locate and sink the Russian warship Moskva weeks ago.
The Makarov was said to have been sailing close to Snake Island in the Black Sea south of Odesa. Ukrainian presidential adviser Anton Gerashchenko reported on his Telegram page that the Admiral Makarov was hit by a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile. He cited Russian sources.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has not commented on the reports.
