Russian warships forced to flee after Ukrainian ballistic missile attack

A video shared on social media shows two Russian warships fleeing the port of Berdyansk in southeast Ukraine after a docked transport ship was reduced to ashes following a missile attack.

Another two pr. 775 landing ships - "Novocherkassk" and "Caesar Kunikov" were damaged too, however they managed to sail away. Presumably, the cause of the incident is a Ukrainian "Tochka-U" ballistic missile hit. pic.twitter.com/dBinch60rd

— ?? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) March 24, 2022

The clip was shared on Twitter by the user Ukraine Weapons Tracker which has been documenting the Russian military losses. Earlier this week, the account has shared images of a unit of a Russian electronic warfare system that was abandoned near Kyiv. 

Mounting losses for Russian forces

The Russian invasion that began a month ago has been defended fiercely by Ukrainians. While the Russian military claims that the 'special military operation' is going as per plan, the U.S. Department of Defense estimates that the former has lost 10 percent of its combat capabilities, Newsweek reported. 

Apart from the couple of nuclear reactors that Russian forces gained control of early on in their attacks, the cities of Ukraine have repelled the attacks. On the road, Russian tanks and armored vehicles have found themselves easy targets for Ukrainian artillery and now even the sea no longer appears to be safe. 

The Siege of Mariupol

The three-pronged attack on Ukraine targeted the capital city of Kyiv in the north, Kherson in the south, and Mariupol in the southeast, BBC reported. While areas such as Donetsk and Luhansk in the east are still under the control of Russia, the other sites have offered stiff resistance. 

The city of Mariupol has been fighting Russian forces for weeks now without heat and electricity, Business Insider reported. The Ukrainian port of Berdyansk on the Sea of Azov, near Mariupol, serves as an important resupply point to Russian offense since it is now occupied by Russian forces. 

According to Russian media reports, the landing ship Orsk, which could carry 1,500 tonnes of cargo, could have delivered 20 tanks or 40 armored personnel vehicles. But a ballistic missile made an easy target of the ship and its precious cargo.

The accompanying ships, which UA Weapons identified as Novocherkassk and Caesar Kunikov were also partially damaged but managed to flee the scene as can be seen in the video above.

So far, there has been no confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Defense.