Devastating attack on Putin’s Black Sea HQ kills ‘senior leadership’

Senior Russian officials are among dozens left dead or wounded after a missile strike on Vladimir Putin’s Black Sea naval headquarters, Ukraine says. Eyewitness video shows the moment bombs rained down on the military center in Sevastopol, Crimea on Friday , causing a huge explosion and a thick cloud of black smoke. Kyiv is increasingly targeting vital military infrastructure behind enemy lines and the attack on the Russian-occupied port city is one of the most devastating examples to date. Ukraine ‘s Special Operations Forces have today revealed more details about their carefully executed plot – dubbed ‘Crab Trap’ – including how they held off striking until high-ranking officials arrived at the headquarters for a meeting. In a statement on Telegram, the special op team also said ‘senior leadership of the fleet’ were present . For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to Daily Express US The moment missiles rained down on the Black Sea HQ (Image: Twitter) It said: ‘The daring and painstaking work of the Special Operations Forces enabled them to hit the Black Sea Fleet headquarters ‘on time and with precision’ while the Russian Navy’s senior staff was meeting in the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol. ‘The data was transmitted to the Air Force for strike. The details of the attack will be revealed once it is possible. ‘The result is dozens of dead and wounded occupiers, including the senior leadership of the fleet.’ Putin ‘s naval fleet based in the region is seen as the elite in the Russian military. Top Putin officials are thought to have been killed in the blast (Image: Getty) Ukraine ‘s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told Voice of America that at least nine people were killed and 16 others wounded as a result of Kyiv’s attack. He also claimed Alexander Romanchuk, a Russian general commanding forces along the key southeastern front line, was ‘in a very serious condition’. Moscow has not provided an update today, but on Friday said one service member was missing . But Russian officials have reported another missile attack on Sevastopol this morning. The city was placed under an air raid alert for around an hour after debris from intercepted missiles fell near a pier, according to Russian-installed Governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev. Pro- Ukraine Telegram channels also indicated loud blasts were heard near Vilne in northern Crimea, followed by rising clouds of smoke. Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to take it back. Follow our social media accounts here on https://www.facebook.com/ ExpressUSNews and @ExpressUSNews