VLADIMIR Putin's feared Black Sea fleet headquarters was blitzed by a suspected Ukrainian Storm Shadow missile attack today.
Footage shows black smoke billowing from the burning and partially collapsed building in the Russian-held Crimean city of Sevastopol in a humiliating blow to Russia.
The Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, confirmed today's attack, which is believed to have been caused by a British or French-supplied Storm Shadow missile.
âThe enemies launched a missile attack on the fleet headquarters,â he said, adding that "another attack was possible".
Dozens of ambulances were reported rushing to the headquarters in the naval port to put the huge fire out.
It suffered "severe damage", said one report. Â
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The strike is one of the most significant of the entire war, as was the infamous sinking of the fleetâs flagship, the Moskva cruiser, last year.Â
Debris from the missile attack on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet was scattered over hundreds of metres.
The governor warned the population to "please remain calm."
He added: âPlease do not travel to the city centre. Don't leave buildings.Â
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âAt the sound of the siren, everyone who is near the fleet headquarters should proceed to shelters.
âEmployees of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations are working on the spot⊠Firefighters are taking all measures to put out the fire as quickly as possible."
Prominent Russian pro-war blogger Vladimir Rogov said: âThe headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol was attacked by Ukrainian missiles.â
He said the attack was carried out âby British Storm Shadow missilesâ.
This has not been immediately confirmed.Â
Ukraine has not yet commented on the attack.
In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russia's Black Sea fleet using both Storm Shadow and Neptune missiles to target Crimea as well as kamikaze drones.Â
The fleet has been responsible for multiple missile attacks on Ukraine, and is central to Putinâs subjugation of around one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.Â
Other explosions reportedly hit elsewhere in Crimea including around peninsula capital Simferopol.Â
Drones were downed today in Sevastopol harbour.Â
The attack came as Putin held a meeting of his security council on relations with neighbouring countries.Â
Earlier this week, a Ukrainian kamikaze drone smashed into an oil depot in the Russian resort of Sochi on the Black Sea.
Shocking footage showed huge flames and thick black smoke pouring into the air from the giant fuel tank just 18 miles from one of Putin's palaces.
Only last week, a barrage of Storm Shadow missiles bypassed Putinâs air defence systems to blast naval docks in Sevastopol.
Ukraine unleashed at least ten of the cruise missiles alongside drones in the massive assault on Russia's powerful Black Sea fleet.
They also destroyed a Ropucha-class landing ship designed to spew tanks and armoured vehicles onto beaches.
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Meanwhile on Wednesday, a daring Ukrainian black ops raid hit two planes and a helicopter at a high security airfield just 20 miles from the Kremlin.
The saboteurs are suspected of the audacious strike at Chkalovsky Air Base, where Putin keeps an Il-80 Doomsday aircraft in the event of nuclear war.Â
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