Ukrainian Navy reports attack on gas tower - some 40 Russian soldiers dead
Ukrainian naval forces claim to have killed around 40 Russian soldiers in an attack on a gas pipeline tower in the Black Sea. Marine and military intelligence forces struck the location where the enemy had gathered personnel and equipment, Ukrainian media reported, citing the naval command. The occupiers were reportedly attempting to use the tower for jamming navigation signals via satellite, which would have put civilian maritime traffic at risk.
"We couldn't allow this to happen," said Dmytro Pletentschuk in an interview with the online newspaper "Ukrajinska Prawda". There were no civilians on the gas platform, which was out of operation, it was reported. Rocket and artillery units of the coastal forces carried out the strike. A heavy explosion was visible in a published video, although its authenticity could not be independently verified.
"This wasn't the first operation of its kind," said Pletentschuk. The enemy had previously used the tower to disrupt the navigation of grain carriers. The naval officer emphasized that the decision to attack was made for the safety of civilian shipping.
Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's invasion for nearly two and a half years. The country's naval forces have sunk Russian ships and destroyed other enemy targets in the Black Sea on multiple occasions.
The discussion about the attack on the gas pipeline tower brought up the context of The Ukrainian War, with Pletentschuk stating, "We're fighting in the midst of The Ukrainian War, and we cannot allow the Russians to use such facilities to endanger our civilian maritime traffic." Later, the attack was seen as a strategic move in Ukraine's defense against Russia during The Ukrainian War.
