Up to 40 crew members could have been on board Russia’s missile boat destroyed overnight - Navy

The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in a post on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

"On the night of February 1, forces of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate destroyed a Russian occupiers’ missile boat of the 41st Missile Boat Brigade in the western part of temporarily occupied Crimea, which was on combat duty, guarding the naval base in Novoozerne. This is a rather significant loss, as there are only three such Project 1241.1 boats in the RF Black Sea Fleet and armament, including Moskit-type anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 130 km," the post reads.

Search operations are currently underway.

"Given the staffing level of 40 sailors, the consequences of reducing Russian ship's personnel are also significant," the Navy noted.

These are not the first enemy losses in this brigade. Earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Navy struck Russia’s Samum small missile ship of Project 1239.

"This operation is yet another reminder to the Russian invaders that staying on the territory of the previously occupied facilities in Crimea with impunity is harmful to their health," the Ukrainian Navy emphasized.

As reported by Ukrinform, on the night of February 1, soldiers of the Group 13 special unit of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate destroyed the Ivanovets missile boat of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The boat was in the roadstead of Lake Donuzlav in temporarily occupied Crimea.