Ukraine updates: Kyiv says it killed Russian fleet commander

Ukrainian special forces have said an attack on Russian navy headquarters killed the commander of the Black Sea fleet, Viktor Sokolov. Meanwhile, the first US Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine

The historic headquarters building is reported to have been damaged beyond repair (photo: DW)
The historic headquarters building is reported to have been damaged beyond repair (photo: DW)
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DW

A statement from Ukraine's specials forces says Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Viktor Sokolov was killed in an attack on Russia's naval headquarters in the port city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea last Friday.

Sokolov is said to have been among 34 officers who died in the attack on Friday. Scores more were injured.

The historic headquarters building is reported to have been damaged beyond repair.

In other news, Russia-installed authorities on Crimea said Monday night that air defense forces were repelling a missile attack.

Overnight Sunday into Monday, the Ukrainian port city of Odesa came under fire from Russian missiles and drones.

Here are the main headlines concerning Russia's war in Ukraine on Monday, September 25:

Russia reports new missile attack on Sevastopol

Russian authorities in Sevastopol on announced an air alert for the port city on Monday evening, and said they were repelling a missile attack.

"According to preliminary data, the air defense forces shot down one missile near the Belbek airfield," the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said in his Telegram channel.

Traffic on the Kerch bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland was also temporarily halted, the bridge operator said.

Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, has recently been the frequent target of attacks from Ukrainian forces. The latest came on September 22, with a missile strike hitting the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet in Sevastopol.

Hungary criticizes Ukraine, could delay vote on Sweden NATO bid

Hungary will not support Ukraine "in any issue" unless the Ukrainian government restores the rights of ethnic Hungarians on its territory, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Monday.

Ukraine restricted the use of minority languages, such as Hungarian, in schools in 2017, which Hungary has repeatedly denounced.

Some 130,000 ethnic Hungarians lived in Ukraine before the war, mostly in the western region of Zakarpattia. Hundreds of them have joined the Ukrainian military since the beginning of Russia's invasion last year.

In his speech, Orban also floated the possibility of Hungary further delaying parliamentary ratification of Sweden's NATO bid. His government expressed disapproval of what it called "undue allegations" by Sweden over rule of law issues in Hungary.

Hungary and Turkey are the only two NATO members who have not yet ratified the accession yet.

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Published: 25 Sep 2023, 1:42 PM