A Ukrainian military intelligence official said today that the fire of a Russian warship in the Baltic Sea in April was caused by a joint operation conducted by the General Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) and a pro-Kiev Russian military group, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
On April 7, the ship "Serpukhov", based in Russia's Kaliningrad region, was set on fire, the GUR reported at the time. So far, the military intelligence service has not taken responsibility for what happened.
GUR spokesman Andriy Yusov told Reuters that the operation was carried out jointly with the "Freedom of Russia" legion. Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has not publicly commented on the incident.
Ukraine regularly carries out numerous air and naval strikes against Russian warships in the Black Sea. If the reported damage to "Serpukhov" are confirmed, the arson would be Ukraine's first known operation against Russia in the Baltic Sea.
The Legion "Freedom of Russia" stated that the arson was planned and carried out together with certain Russian naval personnel in the Baltic Sea with whom he had been in contact since 2023.
"As a result of the sabotage (we managed to) destroy the ship from the inside and completely destroy its communication and means of automation," the legion said on its Telegram account.
Speaking to reporters in Kiev today, a former Russian navy serviceman who identified himself as Goga said he managed to collect classified documents on board the Serpukhov before escaping, RBC-Ukraine reported. ;.