Navy spokesman confirms Russian Black Sea Fleet ship damaged by explosion.

The "Pavel Derzhavin," a patrol ship from Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was damaged by an explosion, Ukrainian navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk told the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Oct.

12. Pletenchuk said he could not discuss more details about the incident, nor the extent of the damage, but confirmed there had been explosions and subsequent damage. The spokesperson did not comment on whether the Pavel Derzhavin was damaged as a result of a Ukrainian strike.

Posts shared earlier on Oct.

11 on the local Telegram channel Crimean Wind also detailed sounds of explosions and reports that the ship had been damaged. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly struck ships from the Black Sea Fleet, causing what U.K. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey characterized as a "functional defeat" of Russia's naval forces in the Black Sea.

According to Ukraine's General Staff, Russia has lost 20 navy ships as of Oct.

12 In addition, Ukrainian strikes hit the Black Sea Fleet's command on land. Reportedly using U.K.-provided Storm Shadow missile, Ukraine struck the Black Sea Fleet's headquarters in Sevastopol, occupied Crimea, killing at least 34 Russian officers, allegedly including the fleet's commander Admiral Viktor Sokolov.  

Uncertain Triumph: Ukraine picks apart Russia's best air defenses in Crimea

The past month has not been kind to Russia's forces in occupied Crimea. In a span of weeks, a ship, a submarine, and multiple air defense systems were destroyed. Ukraine said these targets included Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, optimistically named the Triumph.

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News Editor

Nate Ostiller is a News Editor. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master's degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine.

Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.