Russia inadvertently destroyed one of its own fishing boats in the Baltic Sea in a startling friendly fire incident during poorly executed military exercises.
The fishing vessel, named Captain Lobanov, was engulfed in smoke following a missile strike off the coast of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Efforts were made to conceal the highly embarrassing mistake of Vladimir Putin’s Baltic Fleet, initially reporting an unexplained “explosion and fire” on the trawler.
Three individuals were killed and four others injured in the suspected Iskander-M missile attack, with the affected sailors fleeing on a lifeboat. A relative of one of the crew members disclosed the incident to the independent Russian media outlet Dozhd.
“When the survivors were taken away, everyone knew very well that three people had been killed,” the source said. ‘And everyone knew very well that a rocket had hit. But they decided to write that there was ‘fire’ on board. The captain’s cabin was completely destroyed in the attack, causing significant damage to this ship.
Initial reports indicated that the ship had sunk, but following the incident on Tuesday during the ongoing war games in the Baltic Sea, the wreckage was towed to port. Survivors are currently undergoing recovery in hospitals within the Kaliningrad region, although one individual is said to be in critical condition.
The injured were allegedly questioned by officers from the FSB security service and instructed not to discuss the event. According to accounts, the naval drills involved engaging a simulated adversary, including a submarine.
In a significant blow, Russia launched a fresh wave of airstrikes against Ukraine earlier today, with approximately 90 missiles and 60 drones targeting vital energy infrastructure, plunging Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, into darkness and causing damage to several facilities, officials reported.
This assault appeared to be the most extensive strike on Ukraine’s energy grid since the onset of the war, disrupting internet services and impacting both residential and industrial electricity supplies nationwide. Captivating footage captured the Dnipro hydroelectric power station, Ukraine’s largest, engulfed in flames following an attack that also claimed civilian lives aboard a bus.
Although the dam, a crucial component of the hydroelectric power station supplying electricity to the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, seemingly remained intact, the turbine chamber and associated penstock equipment suffered damage. “Firefighting efforts at the station are ongoing,” stated Ukrhydroenergo, the energy company. “Emergency services and utility workers are tirelessly working on the ground to address the aftermath of numerous aerial assaults.”
Residents of Kharkiv experienced disruptions in water and power supplies overnight, while one of the city’s vital facilities, the Transport Engineering Plant responsible for tank production and repairs, bore the brunt of some of the most intense bombing witnessed thus far in the conflict.
Dubbed “judgment night and morning” by the Russian Telegram channel War Gonzo, these relentless attacks coincided closely with Putin’s recent victory in the Russian presidential election, a result he views as an endorsement to persist with the invasion of Ukraine.
