A Russian warship exploded and burned in an occupied Ukrainian port on Thursday.
The vessel, identified as the landing ship Orsk, was reportedly struck by the Ukrainian military in the port of Berdyansk.
Orsk was unloading supplies and material for the ongoing siege of Mariupol, where the fiercest fighting in Russia’s invasion is situated.
Video of the attack reveals large explosions consuming the Orsk, loud enough to be heard from a residence in Berdyansk.
Devastating new videos emerging from Berdyansk ? pic.twitter.com/fj6ngLqqEW
— OsintTv (@OsintTv) March 24, 2022
More video reveals the magnitude of the explosions consuming the vessel.
Бердянськ!!!
У ??окупантів добряче палає!??? pic.twitter.com/ElfkXMRwOQ— ??Armed Forces (@ArmedForcesUkr) March 24, 2022
A naval analyst indicated that the ship was attacked by a Bayraktar UAV drone, an unmanned aircraft already used to great effect by Ukraine’s armed forces in the war.
??Ukrainian sources claim Bayraktar TB2 UAV launched missiles that sank ??Russian Landing ship Orsk in Berdyansk.
Video shows aftermath with two Ropucha class assault ships sailing in a hurry with one having a fire on deck and debris raining down. https://t.co/ZhqZOSDBke pic.twitter.com/6jInQAMAms
— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) March 24, 2022
Two other Russian landing ships fled the port of Berdyansk in a hurry after the Orsk was attacked.
One of the ships was smoking similarly to the Orsk, although it was able to escape.
Time-lapse video showing the events at the port of Berdyansk this morning. Two LSTs left the port, one of them was on fire. pic.twitter.com/5HljSBOhbQ
— C O U P S U R E (@COUPSURE) March 24, 2022
The ship’s inability to join the retreat suggested it was either totally destroyed or disabled.
Pro-Russian propagandists had published footage of the Orsk on Russian state TV just days ago, celebrating its role in assisting the troops attacking Mariupol.
Russian TV was very proud to show off the Orsk a few days ago when it arrived in Berdyansk. They said it had supplies for troops.
Ukraine say they were tracking it for days, and that it had weapons and ammunition to continue the siege of Mariupol. And they’ve blown it up. pic.twitter.com/hJFc82jkxR
— James Longman (@JamesAALongman) March 24, 2022
A Vladimir Putin propaganda channel had published video of the Orsk unloading war materials in Berdyansk just three days ago, raising serious questions about Russian operational security in the invasion.
BREAKING: 3 days ago Russian media shared a video of the Orsk Alligator-class landing ship berthed in the occupied port at Berdyansk unloading a BTR-80. Russia was bragging that the occupied Ukrainian port was now a base of supply for its southern operations. pic.twitter.com/pKzBRY5thO
— Tim McMillan (@LtTimMcMillan) March 24, 2022
Russian soldiers admitted that Putin’s invasion has devolved into a “circus” in intercepted phone calls, with delusional commanders promising their troops that Kyiv would fall in hours or days.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.