Ukraine’s attack on Sevastapol ‘strikes into the heart’ of maritime ‘advantage’: UK Navy chief

DSEI 2023 — The overnight strikes by Ukrainian forces on a shipyard in Russian-held Sevastapol is the latest example of the country “redefining” what is possible in modern conflict, the head of the British Royal Navy said today. “I think this sort of thing will make a difference. It is definitely going to strike into the heart of what the kind of maritime operational advantage looks like… in the Black Sea at the moment,” Adm. Ben Key, the Royal Navy’s first sea lord, told attendees here in London. “They are redefining or demonstrating what can be done… We’ve seen in a number of various areas, some really significant adaptations of tactics, techniques and capabilities in order to try and generate a capability advantage over the Russians.” The comments come just hours after Ukrainian intelligence said it was responsible for explosions heard and seen at the Sergo Ordzhonikidze shipyard, which Russia uses to service its Black Sea Fleet, Politico reported. Russian officials on Telegram stated at least 10 cruise missiles were launched and seven of which were shot down. Open source reports circulating on Twitter suggested that a Russian submarine and landing ship may have been significantly damaged during the attacks.

Closer footage of the Ukrainian strike in Sevastapol this morning. Multiple large explosions. pic.twitter.com/9do1D8epPX

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 13, 2023

But Ukraine’s apparent success also served as a warning for future conflict, Key said. “What we need to do is to learn from what we’re seeing to make sure we don’t make ourselves vulnerable to the very same things that the Ukrainians have managed to affect against the Russians,” he said. Earlier today Ukraine’s tactics in a different domain were also highlighted by Erika Kuročkina, the vice-minister of economy and innovation for Lithuania. She said the advent of social media has made the conflict one of the “most accessible” wars in history. “The war in Ukraine serves as a stark example of how social media has fundamentally transformed the way we experience and engage with war,” she said. “Social media platforms have become the primary battlegrounds for information dissemination, with live updates and videos from the front lines being published almost in real time.”